Why This 'Forgotten' Italian Arrow Was Built From a Tank Destroyer and Sent to Afghanistan
The VBM Freccia is Italy's 8x8 wheeled infantry fighting vehicle, built on the same chassis as the Centauro wheeled tank destroyer. Developed by the CIO consortium of Iveco and OTO Melara, now Leonardo, over 330 have been delivered to the Italian Army with a total requirement of roughly 630 vehicles.
This documentary covers the full story of one of the most overlooked modern armoured vehicles in NATO service. How it inherited its hull from a 105mm tank killer, deployed to Afghanistan with the 82nd Infantry Regiment "Torino" at Shindand in Herat Province, and served through four years of combat operations without a single documented crew fatality.
We break down its 25mm Oerlikon KBA autocannon in the Hitfist Plus turret, Spike missile anti-tank variant, 550hp Iveco diesel engine, 110 km/h top speed, 800km range, and 28-tonne combat weight. Then we look at its future as the VBM 30 NG, a next-generation rebuild with a V-shaped hull, 30mm X-GUN cannon, and 720hp engine ordered under a billion-euro contract signed in December 2024.
A forgotten workhorse of modern wheeled armour, finally given the recognition it deserves.