Dutch Defense Undersecretary Christophe van der Maat has reported the unveiling of the Manticore 4×4 Medium Tactical Vehicle (MTV) on Twitter. 1,185 Manticores will replace many of the current 4x4 vehicles in the Dutch land force. The rollout of the vehicles is to start next year. Following performance and acceptance tests by the Dutch armed forces, series production is to start with deliveries scheduled from 2023 to 2026.
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IVECO Manticore 4×4 Medium Tactical Vehicle (MTV) (Picture source: Dutch Defense Ministry)

To replace the ageing fleet of wheeled vehicles within the armed forces, the Dutch Ministry of Defence launched the Defensiebrede Vervanging Operationele Wielvoertuigen programme (DVOW, Joint Replacement Programme of Wheeled Vehicles). The Iveco MTV has been selected for the 12 kN category, which indicates that the vehicle will be capable of carrying payloads of approximately 1,200 kg. The MTV will function in various roles and will replace multiple ageing vehicles, including variants of the M577 command post vehicles, YPR-765 armoured personnel carriers and Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen 'Wolf' off-road vehicles.

On 15 August 2019, State Secretary of Defence Barbara Visser announced that the Ministry of Defence had selected Italian truck manufacturer IVECO to supply new light tactical vehicles to the Dutch Armed Forces. In addition, the project includes the delivery of remote-controlled weapon stations (RCWS) which can be installed on the vehicles. The contract includes the development and provision of 918 vehicles and 120 RCWS, an additional 357 vehicles and 10 RCWS can be ordered through an option in the contract. This would bring the total to 1275 vehicles and 130 RCWS, while additional vehicles can be ordered within five years after the delivery of the final vehicle. On 28 November 2019, the state secretary signed the contract with IVECO at the NIDV Exhibition Defence & Security, which took place in Rotterdam.

In the Defensie Projectoverzicht (DPO, Defence Projects Overview) of September 2020, the Ministry of Defence announced that the order for an additional 357 vehicles was delayed. An examination of the project found that the current distribution of vehicles among the service branches was sub-optimal. Consequently, a requirement for 100 vehicles was removed from the project and transferred to a new project for amphibiously transportable vehicles for the Netherlands Marine Corps. The remaining 257 vehicles have been ordered through the existing option in the contract.

Variants

Combat
The combat variant consists of a hardtop and soft-top variant that have been optimized for tactical use. The hardtop variant can be equipped with the RCWS included in the contract and can host up to four occupants. The soft-top variant will be used by the Dutch special operations forces, KCT and NLMARSOF.

Utility
The utility variant consists of a pick-up with a short two-man cabin, and various utility modules on the rear section. 550 non-armoured logistic modules will be produced by Dutch Military Vehicles, a subsidiary of IVECO Schouten. DMV will produce cargo beds in four different versions, including modules for mobile workshops and command vehicles.

Ambulance
The ambulance variant consists of an armored body that is optimized for casualty evacuation and is capable of transporting two stretchers or up to four sitting casualties.

Military police
The military police variant is designed for policing duties of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee. The MTV will replace a part of the YPR-765 armoured personnel carriers in use with the Bijstandseenheid (BE, Support Unit).

IVECO Manticore 4×4 Medium Tactical Vehicle (MTV) (Picture source: IVECO)