HITFIST punches for more export orders
With an order book of more than 300 units, Italian company Oto Melara (Stand 1506) is now targeting other potential chassis suppliers with its latest generation HITFIST 30mm light turret. This two-person turret is normally armed with an ATK Gun Systems 30mm MK44 cannon that is being adopted by an increasing number of customers with a growth path to 40mm.
A 7.62mm machine gun is mounted co-axial with the 30mm cannon and a bank of electrically operated grenade launchers is integrated on the left side of the turret. An anti-tank guided weapon could also be integrated into the turret, according to Oto Melara.
The turret has all-electric gun control equipment and is fitted with a computerised fire control system that includes a Kollsman sight with eye safe laser rangefinder, Galileo Avionica generation II infrared camera and two colour displays. Poland has ordered a total of 313 turrets that will be integrated onto the Patria Vehicles Armoured Modular Vehicle. The first 43 turrets came from the Oto Melara production line, with the remaining 270 being assembled in Poland using kits supplied by Oto Melara. There is also a possibility of a follow-on order from Poland. MOWAG of Switzerland has ordered six HITFIST turrets for installation on the six Piranha III (8x8) armoured personnel carriers being built for Ireland. HITFIST 30 has also been demonstrated on a number of platforms in the Middle East and through Selex of the UK will be offered for the British Army’s Warrior Lethality Improvement Programme.
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