First PzH 2000 delivered to the Italian Army

The Iveco Fiat-Oto Melara consortium has delivered the first PzH 2000 Self Propelled Howitzer to the Italian Army.
 
The ceremony took place at the Oto Melara plant in La Spezia. Among the many distinguished representatives from the political, military and industrial fields that attended the ceremony, were the Undersecretary of State for Defence, Lorenzo Forcieri MP, La Spezia Prefect, Dr. Vincenzo Santoro, the Chief of Army Staff, General Filiberto Cecchi, the Director-General of Land Weapon Systems, Gen. Mauro Pescarini and other important military authorities. Representing the industry: Finmeccanica Chief Operating Officer Mr. Giorgio Zappa, Oto Melara president Gen. Giulio Fraticelli, Mr. Roberto Cibrario Assereto and Mr. Carlo Alberto Iardella, President and Vice President of the Consorzio Iveco Fiat-Oto Melara respectively, Giancarlo Grasso, President of Oto Melara and local authorities.
The contract for the supply to the Italian Army of the PzH 2000 vehicles was signed in December 2002 between the Iveco Fiat - Oto Melara Consortium and the General Directorate of Land Weapon Systems and is one of the modernisation phases of the Italian armoured units.
 
The PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzer has been designed and supplied to the German Army by the company Krauss Maffei Wegmann, with which Iveco and Oto Melara have signed an industrial agreement, following a Memorandum of Understanding between the German and Italian Governments signed in the year 2000
 
By adopting this vehicle, the Italian Army is now equipped with a modern system that replaces the obsolete M109L, offering great benefits in terms of modern technology and operative performance.
 
The contract, worth about 640 million Euros, envisages the delivery of the last vehicle in the year 2000.

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