Only Two Crew Members: Italy Presents New Self-Propelled Howitzer with a 70-km Range

Defense technology market analysts point to the growing importance of artillery, highlighted by the Russian-Ukrainian war.

As noted by the European defense magazine European Defense Review, this development is prompting a number of companies to add new artillery systems to their existing portfolios. At Eurosatory 2026 in Paris, France, the Italian CIO consortium, with its shares split 50/50 between IDV and Leonardo, presented the VBM 155 self-propelled howitzer. For now, it is only a full-scale model, but it was presented with substantial technical data.

According to defense market analysts, the project is intended to combine Leonardo’s artillery capabilities at its La Spezia facility, in the form of an unmanned turret armed with a 155-mm gun with a 52-caliber barrel, with IDV’s expertise in developing wheeled platforms. In this case, the platform is a specialized 10×10 armored chassis based in Bolzano and recently acquired by Italy’s main defense industry group.

Although the designation VBM, which stands for Veicolo Blindato Medio, corresponds to Italian military nomenclature, the vehicle’s dimensions, weight, payload capacity, and wheel configuration indicate that it is a specialized artillery carrier optimized for long-range fire support missions.

According to technical data presented at Eurosatory 2026, which was also attended by specialists from the Belgian defense center Army Recognition Group, the vehicle is 11.1 meters long, 2.95 meters wide, and approximately 3.34 meters high with the turret installed.

The system has a gross weight of 40 tons and can carry a payload of up to 22 tons, providing sufficient capacity for a large ammunition supply and a fully automated turret architecture.

Mobility is provided by a 530-kW (720-hp) Iveco diesel engine paired with an automatic transmission. The powertrain enables the vehicle to reach speeds of more than 100 km/h while maintaining high off-road capabilities.

The vehicle can negotiate slopes of up to 60°, traverse lateral slopes of up to 30°, cross trenches up to 2.5 meters wide, and ford water obstacles up to 1.5 meters deep without preparation. An independent hydropneumatic suspension contributes to mobility, ride quality over rough terrain, and stability during firing.

At the heart of the system is a fully automated unmanned turret developed by Leonardo. Its main armament is a 155-mm/52-caliber gun compatible with NATO-standard ammunition, as well as extended-range and precision-guided projectiles.

A remotely controlled Leonardo HITROLE Light weapon station armed with a 12.7-mm machine gun provides close-range self-defense against ground threats and low-flying aerial targets.

One of the most notable aspects of the VBM 155 SPH is its exceptionally small crew. Technical data presented by CIO confirms that only two crew members are required to operate the vehicle — a commander and a driver.

Both crew members remain inside the armored hull, while the turret itself is completely unmanned. This design significantly improves survivability by reducing the crew’s exposure during firing and allows artillery units to operate with fewer personnel requirements.

The automated ammunition handling system is another important planned technological feature. According to the designers, the vehicle carries approximately 30 projectiles ready for immediate use, as well as around 180 modular propellant charges. Automatic loading of both projectiles and propellant charges allows the system to maintain a high rate of fire while reducing the workload on the crew and shortening combat cycles.

According to information released at the Eurosatory exhibition, the VBM 155 SPH can achieve a maximum rate of fire of up to 10 rounds per minute. The artillery system’s design provides a full 360-degree turret traverse through a ring-coupling architecture, with elevation angles ranging from approximately −2.5° to +70°. This allows targets to be engaged across the entire battlespace without changing the vehicle’s position.

The system’s firepower is further enhanced by compatibility with Leonardo’s family of Vulcano precision-guided artillery ammunition. While conventional base-bleed projectiles provide an effective range of approximately 40 km, Vulcano rounds increase the maximum range to approximately 70 km.

This capability would allow artillery units equipped with the VBM 155 SPH to strike command posts, logistics centers, air defense systems, artillery batteries, and other important targets located far beyond the reach of conventional tube artillery.

Drawing on lessons learned from recent conflicts, long-range precision strikes have become a priority for NATO and European armed forces. The ability to destroy targets at long distances while maintaining high accuracy reduces ammunition consumption and improves operational effectiveness against dispersed and well-protected enemy forces.

The VBM 155 SPH self-propelled howitzer was also designed around the increasingly important “shoot-and-scoot” doctrine. Technical information presented by CIO indicates a typical standard combat cycle of approximately 15 seconds from firing to moving.

This rapid relocation capability reduces vulnerability to detection by counter-battery radars, loitering munitions, armed unmanned systems, and precision-strike weapons, which have become major threats to conventional artillery units.

The vehicle’s survivability is further enhanced by its armored hull and integrated protection measures. The specifications mention protection against mines and improvised explosive devices, a low-profile hull architecture, anti-slip technologies, anti-lock braking systems, and an integrated central tire-inflation system. These features improve both crew protection and operational mobility across a wide range of terrain conditions.

The vehicle is also equipped with advanced surveillance and battlefield management systems. The driver’s situational awareness is supported by a day-and-night vision system with forward-facing periscopes and 360-degree observation capability.

The command architecture integrates Leonardo communications systems, navigation equipment, and digital fire-control technologies designed to support network-centric operations and interoperability with NATO command-and-control networks.

However, not all military technology market analysts have given the Italian arms manufacturers’ new artillery system an unequivocally positive assessment, particularly in terms of the development’s uniqueness.

Experts from the Ukrainian defense outlet Defense Express (DE) note that the project proposed by the Italian CIO consortium is essentially a continuation of work on the RH1-155/52 Hitfire autonomous artillery module, which was demonstrated in November 2025. The difference is that the module is now mounted on a new version of the VBM NG chassis with a 10×10 wheel configuration instead of 8×8.

“This solution brings the VBM 155 even closer to KNDS Deutschland’s RCH 155 self-propelled howitzer on the Piranha IV 10×10 chassis. From Defense Express’s perspective, the German artillery system can be considered the main competitor to the sovereign Italian development,” DE specialists emphasized.

They also noted that, from an operational perspective, the VBM 155 SPH reflects the broader evolution of self-propelled artillery toward greater automation and reduced crew requirements. The concept shares several characteristics with new systems such as the German RCH 155, including an unmanned turret, automated ammunition handling, and protected crew positions within the hull. These technologies are intended to increase operational tempo while reducing vulnerability on increasingly transparent battlefields dominated by drones, sensors, and precision weapons.

However, most defense equipment market analysts acknowledge that, for the Italian industry, the presentation demonstrates the continuation of cooperation between Iveco Defence Vehicles and Leonardo within the CIO joint venture to develop advanced land combat systems. By combining a specialized 10×10 wheeled chassis, a fully automated artillery turret, and compatibility with long-range precision-guided ammunition, the VBM 155 SPH positions itself as a potential future contender for international artillery modernization programs.

As armed forces continue to prioritize long-range fires, strategic mobility, and enhanced survivability, the VBM 155 SPH offers Italy’s designers’ vision of next-generation artillery.

Although the concept is currently presented as a full-scale model and technology demonstrator, it incorporates many capabilities increasingly sought by military planners, including a reduced crew size, a high level of automation, long-range precision-strike capability, rapid fire, and quick movement between positions suited to future high-intensity combat operations.