Allison moves… amphibious

Allison is flexible, we know, and has also carved out a role for itself in military applications, such as amphibious armoured vehicles (VBAs) of the Brigata Marina San Marco (BMSM).

Italian Navy amphibious vehicles ‘wear’ Allison

The contract to supply Allison transmissions was signed on 22 December by the Directorate of Land Armaments with Iveco Defence Vehicles (IDV), a brand of  Iveco Group N.V. (Mi : IGV), specialised in vehicles for the defense and the civil protection, will supply the Italian Navy 36 of the  Allison-equipped VBAs. The collaboration between Allison and IDV has previously produced technologically advanced vehicles for the U.S. Marine Corps, which has ordered more than 200 of the Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) since 2018. These advanced 8×8 all-terrain ACVs can accommodate up to 13 Marines. The new IDV VBA is based on the SUPERAV 8×8 amphibious platform, developed for the ACV together with BAE Systems. 

With Allison not to stress the cognitive map

Written in this way, it may sound more like behavioural psychology. It is Allison herself who explains that their fully automatic transmission is well suited for defense vehicles because drivers must focus solely on the mission. By making driving less physically taxing, Allison transmissions allow concentration on the real task at hand. In addition, the ease of operation neutralizes driver inexperience and greatly reduces training time. Additionally, Allison transmissions have excellent performance and provide greater acceleration, thanks to Continuous Power Technology^TM, which allows continuous transmission of power from the engine to the wheels. Powershifting also enables smoother driving, precise traction control and improved manoeuvrability, even over difficult or rough terrain and at low speeds.

In the control room is FPT Industrial

The 700hp FPT Industrial Cursor 16 engine, Diesel of the year 2014, paired with the 7-speed Allison 4800 SP^TM automatic transmission and H-shaped driveline derived from the Centauro and VBM Freccia, allow the VBA to reach a land speed of 105 km/h, while two rear-mounted hydraulic propellers ensure navigation beyond sea state 3 and a speed of 6 knots. 

“Defense vehicles are often fitted with an Allison automatic transmission because only an Allison transmission can provide the powershifting needed to move such a heavy vehicle in difficult off road conditions such as in sand or mud, where its weight would prohibit manual shifting,” said Simone Pace, OEM Account Manager and Area Sales Manager at Allison Transmission Italy. “The Allison 7-speed transmission enables outstanding mobility both in land and water by providing torque simultaneously to all 8 of the VBA’s wheels and the propeller, which work in parallel.”