Oto Melara C-13

     Notes: Designed specifically for the export market in the early 1980s, the C-13 was meant for sale to countries who could afford more expensive APCs or IFVs.  The C-13 hearkens back to the “basic box” sort of APC, the battlefield taxi, and has little in the way of refinements and weapons found in the militaries of more affluent countries.  The C-13 was also designed to be light in weight, to avoid undue stresses on the engine, drive train, and suspension, thus lowering maintenance requirements.  As with many Italian vehicles of this period, it was sold to “unnamed countries.”

     The hull is of all-welded steel, and has a sharply-sloped glacis and moderately-sloped sides to maximize the armor protection of the weight limits imposed on the C-13.  Steel appliqué armor was devised to increase this protection if desired, and armored side skirts can also be added. The commander has only a pintle weapon mount surrounded by AV2 gun shields; his vision blocks are below these shields.  The cupola rotates and the vision blocks allow vision to the front and sides. The driver is at the front at the left side, and has four vision blocks which extend from the front to the left sides.  The front-most vision block can be replaced with a night vision block is desired.  The integrated powerpack is to his right.  Passengers exit and enter through a ramp in the rear with a door in it (the ramp of an M-113 is used). On the roof are three hatches; two are along the sides, are oblong in shape, and open out, with a third in the center of the rear of the passenger compartment that opens to the front.  They have two firing ports in each side and one in the rear.  The ride is actually decent, with three shock absorbers per side and a torsion bar suspension, and the vehicle is amphibious, requiring the switching on of twin bilge pumps and the extension of a trim vane.  A supercharged 390-horsepower diesel gives the C-13 amazing mobility compared to most APCs (the handicap being relatively high fuel consumption).  The crew is protected by an automatic fire extinguishing system, as is the engine compartment.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: Many countries in Africa use the C-13 in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

*Belly armor for this kit is 3.  Access to the firing ports is blocked with the appliqué armor kit.

Oto Melara VCC-1 Camillino

     Notes:  Italy had used the M-113 since the mid-1060s, and license-produced it since the late-1960s, so it came as no surprise when they also became interested in the XM-765 prototype being developed in the US in the late 1960s.  Though the XM-765 program did not directly result in a production vehicle, the Dutch and Belgians ran with the results and developed the YPR-765 (AIFV).  The Italians also looked hard at the AIFV, but in the end developed a vehicle that, while it resembled the AIFV’s hull, was uniquely Italian, modified and built in Italy.  This was the VCC-1, used by Italy and by Saudi Arabia.  Production ended in 1982, but improvements and modifications continue.

     The VCC-1 addresses a number of problems with the M-113, including armor protection, the lack of firing ports for the passengers, and the lack of protection for the commander when manning his machinegun.  Armor protection was improved dramatically on the glacis (and it also has slightly more of a slope), and though appliqué was added on the sides and rear as well, the side protection was also improved by giving the armor a moderate inward slope.  Appliqué armor is of steel, bolted onto the VCC-1’s base aluminum hull. Two firing ports were added on each side, with another added to the rear.  The troop seats go down the middle of the passenger compartment, with the troops facing outwards. The modifications to the passenger compartment have reduced the troop complement. The commander still has a pintle-mounted M-2HB, but the commander is surrounded with AV2 gun shields (AV3 at the front), and his cupola is powered instead of being manually-operated.  At the rear, above the passenger compartment, is a pintle mount for a light machinegun.  Other than the firing port, the rear ramp with its hatch is the same as the M-113, though appliqué armor has been added.

     The suspension has been slightly to improve ride, cross-country performance, and the somewhat-increased weight.  The original engines were the same as the M-113A2 – a 6V53 diesel engine – but the engine output is somewhat different at 215 horsepower. The driver’s controls are improved, with include a driver’s yoke, gas pedal, and brake pedal. Later modifications have had an increase to 275 horsepower along with a new transmission.  For operations in Somalia, some VCC-1s were fitted with a further appliqué armor kit; ridged aluminum, developed from that used on the US AAPV-7A1; this was added to sides of the vehicle, while frontal armor was improved by the addition of flat aluminum plates.

     A trials modification of the VCC-1 with upgraded engine has a 20mm autocannon and a coaxial machinegun in a one-man turret place of the commander’s station.  This version is still in on-and-off (and on-and-off) testing, with no final commitment by the Italian Army as of yet; the defense budget may be the primary problem, instead of the modification itself.  The rear machinegun mount is retained.  It has no official designation as of yet, but I have referred to it as the VCC-20 below, unofficially.

     The Italians also designed a minor modification of the M-113, the VCC-2.  This version has two firing ports on either side of the vehicle, and one at the rear.  It is otherwise identical to the standard M-113A2 for game purposes (see US Tracked APCs).

Oto Melara VCC-80 Dardo

     Notes: Delayed by budgetary problems, the Dardo did not get into production until 1998, and the first examples did not get to Italian Army units until 2002, with deliveries finishing in 2005.  Originally, this production order was to be for 500 vehicles, but budget cuts slashed the order to 200.  The Italian 2005 Defense Budget postponed further acquisition of the Dardo for an indefinite period.  For now, this means that considerable amounts of VCC-1s must soldier on.  The VCC-80 first saw combat in 2004 in Iraq with the Italian contingent to Operation Iraqi Freedom; small amounts of VCC-80s are also in service in Afghanistan, and have been since 2007.

      Current Dardos are equipped with the HITFIST turret – armed with a 25mm autocannon, a coaxial machinegun, and a pair of TOW II ATGM launchers, one on each side of the turret.  This means that the vehicle is often called the “VCC-80 Dardo HITFIST.” These launchers must be elevated, swinging out from the side of the turret, before firing. They are reloaded through the rear deck hatch. The autocannon mount was designed to be able to take a 30mm M-230 ChainGun or an Israeli 60mm HVMS autocannon as a retrofit (though this has not been considered as of yet).  The TOW launchers can also be switched for launchers for Israeli-made Spike-LR ATGMs.  The commander’s position also has a pintle mount for a machinegun.  The commander also has a power-operated cupola with all-around vision blocks.  The gunner has his own hatch with all-around vision blocks, though he has less of them, as they are wide-angle vision blocks.  The driver’s thermal imager can be accessed by the commander through an elbow periscope.  A ballistic computer and laser rangefinder help out the gunner.  The gun is fully stabilized.  On the front of the turret on each side of the autocannon is a cluster of four smoke grenade launchers.

     The hull and turret of the Dardo are of all-welded aluminum, with a layer of steel armor added to increase armor protection.  The glacis is sharply sloped and the sides moderately sloped. Track skirts protect the suspension. The crew compartment is equipped with five firing ports, two in each side and one in the rear.  The primary exit and entrance for the troops is through a power-operated ramp at the rear. Over the passenger compartment is a single-piece hatch that opens to the rear, but this is primarily there to facilitate reloading of the ATGM launchers. Other crew equipment includes an air conditioning system and an automatic fire extinguishing system.

     The Dardo has an integrated powerpack, with an Iveco 6V MTCA turbocharged diesel developing 512 horsepower and an automatic transmission. The driver is on the front right and has three vision blocks enabling him to see to the front and right side.  The front vision block can be replaced with a night vision block. The driver has a steering yoke with a gas pedal and brake pedal. The Dardo is not amphibious, but can ford to a depth of 1.5 meters. The torsion bar suspension has shock absorbers on each roadwheel arm, giving it a smooth ride. The engine has its own automatic fire extinguishing system.

     Dardos in Iraq and Afghanistan have been seen with pieces of aluminum track-way from field roadways attached to their sides.  This appears to be a field modification and nothing standard.  This would add AV1 to the sides and weigh no more than 100 kg.  It would not affect the performance of the vehicle (and the effect is visually rather unattractive and sloppy-looking).

     The alternative autocannon installations are provided below as a “what-if.”