Italy has awarded $30 million contract to Oto Melara for HITROLE light turrets

Oto Melara, a Finmeccanica company, signed a contract worth around 20 million euro ($29.7 million) with Italy’s Ministry of Defence - General Directorate of Terrestrial Armaments to supply 81 HITROLE Light turrets. The HITROLE turrets will be used to equip a number of the Lince vehicles currently employed in Afghanistan, thus increasing operational effectiveness and diminishing risks to personnel. The contract also includes technical assistance. Oto Melara was selected by Italy’s Ministry of Defence following an international tender that began in July this year. The first turret will be delivered for operational testing four months from the contract registration, while a large number of the turrets will be delivered by the second half of 2010