The exhibition took place on October 19 at the Cecchignola Army range. Parliament is still deliberating on whether to approve the $520 million for the combat vehicle, as Mauro Moretti, CEO of aerospace technology company Leonardo, and Deputy Defence Staff Chief Lt. Gen. Danilo Errico watched the prototype traverse ditches and steep hills.
The Centauro II is more powerful than the original, with a 720-horsepower engine, a digital-communication display and a 120 mm cannon. It was built through a joint venture between Leonardo and Italian vehicle manufacturer Iveco, and if funding is approved, the Italian army will acquire 150 of the tanks.
Defense News quoted Lt. Gen. Francesco Castrataro speaking at the exhibition saying, "The new Centauro is a tank destroyer which protects troops, rather than a tank, which would be weigh[ed] in at double the maximum 30 ton weight of a Centauro. It is essential to combine the new Centauro with the Freccia, which is a troop transporter. It is agile, flexible and can do more than 100 [kilometers per hour] on a road."
It was noted that the Centauro II "is cheaper, lighter and more flexible than a tank, with the same destructive power as a tank."
The general also pointed out that the eight wheels extending from the hull can serve as a buffer from mines the tank may run over, and addressed funding concerns, saying that the Italian Defense Ministry can recoup its investment from royalties if enough of the vehicles are sold outside of the country.
