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Italy Iveco Defence Vehicles
Dardo
Italy's tracked infantry fighting vehicle, jointly built by Iveco (hull) and Oto Melara (turret, now Leonardo), forming the mechanized backbone of Italian Army brigades since the late 1990s. It has been progressively upgraded and deployed on peacekeeping and NATO missions, and is being succeeded by the Freccia and future programs.
In service since 1998 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
70
km/h
600
km range
21.7
hp/t
25
mm gun
23,000
kg
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
Italian export-licensed
UAMA authorisation; standard EU/Wassenaar controls.
Channel: Direct commercial / G2G
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 1998. Status: active · ~400 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from. Why so few systems publish one →
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
| Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance. | 70 km/h |
|---|---|
| Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence. | 600 km |
| Power-to-weight Engine power per tonne of vehicle weight. Higher means better acceleration and cross-country mobility. | 21.7 hp/t |
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
| Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type. | 25 mm Oerlikon KBA cannon |
|---|---|
| Secondary armament Additional weapons: coaxial MG, remote weapon station, gun pods. | 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun; TOW ATGM launcher |
| Caliber Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better, ammunition commonality matters. | 25 mm |
| Ammunition Rounds carried (main gun) or standard magazine capacity. | 200 |
Protection
Armor, countermeasures and survivability.
| Armor Armor technology: composite, modular, ERA-fitted, uranium-ceramic. Exact compositions are classified. | Welded steel with appliqué armor |
|---|---|
| Reactive armor Explosive reactive armor (ERA) blocks that disrupt shaped-charge jets. | No |
| NBC protection Sealed crew compartment with overpressure filtration for nuclear/biological/chemical environments. | Yes |
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
| Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable. | 6.7 m |
|---|---|
| Width Overall width, matters for rail/road transport of vehicles. | 3 m |
| Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles. | 2.6 m |
| Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor. | 23,000 kg |
| Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity. | 3 |
| Troop capacity Number of embarked troops/passengers (IFV, APC, transport). Higher carries more. | 7 |
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
| Engine Powerplant model and type. | Iveco 8260 turbocharged diesel |
|---|---|
| Engine power Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster. | 520 hp |
| Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet… | Diesel |
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
| Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability. | 400 |
|---|---|
| Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem. | 1 |
Specifications compiled from public Iveco Defence Vehicles and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
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What is the top speed of the Iveco Defence Vehicles Dardo? +
The Iveco Defence Vehicles Dardo has a maximum speed of 70 km/h.
What is the range of the Iveco Defence Vehicles Dardo? +
The Iveco Defence Vehicles Dardo has a maximum range of 600 km.
How much does the Iveco Defence Vehicles Dardo weigh? +
The Iveco Defence Vehicles Dardo has a combat weight of 23,000 kg.
How many crew does the Iveco Defence Vehicles Dardo require? +
The Iveco Defence Vehicles Dardo requires a crew of 3.
What is the main armament of the Iveco Defence Vehicles Dardo? +
The Iveco Defence Vehicles Dardo's primary weapon is the 25 mm Oerlikon KBA cannon.
What engine does the Iveco Defence Vehicles Dardo use? +
The Iveco Defence Vehicles Dardo is powered by the Iveco 8260 turbocharged diesel.
What is the Iveco Defence Vehicles Dardo used for? +
The Iveco Defence Vehicles Dardo is a ifv / apc typically used for infantry combat.
How many countries operate the Iveco Defence Vehicles Dardo? +
The Iveco Defence Vehicles Dardo is operated by 1 countries.
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