The Army has awarded Cohemo a contract for maintenance support of its multipurpose light vehicles, the Iveco LMV Lince, for a maximum amount of three million euros, including taxes. The agreement will extend the sustainability of a platform that has been part of the mobility and protection capabilities of the Spanish Armed Forces for nearly two decades.
The contract will be executed at the Wheel Vehicle Maintenance Park and Center No. 1 and includes both services and supplies. Eighty-five percent corresponds to services and the remaining 15% to supplies necessary for vehicle maintenance.
The agreement has an estimated value of 3.31 million euros and an initial duration of three years, until December 31, 2028, with the option to extend for an additional year.
The goal is to maintain the availability of the Lince vehicles through preventive and corrective maintenance actions, executed based on the needs of the Army.
A vehicle integrated due to Afghanistan’s needs
The history of the Lince in the Spanish Armed Forces is closely linked to the international operations conducted during the early decades of this century.
In November 2007, the government approved an armored vehicle modernization program that included the acquisition of 395 Iveco LMV Lince and 180 RG-31 Mk5E Nyala units. The total investment amounted to 321 million euros.
The inclusion of these vehicles specifically addressed the need to enhance the protection of military personnel deployed in scenarios like Afghanistan, where mines and improvised explosive devices represented one of the main threats.
The first Lince vehicles began arriving at the Army in 2008 and were subsequently deployed to Afghanistan. Their use later expanded to other Spanish international missions.
The vehicle has been present in various settings, including Afghanistan, Lebanon, and Mali, and it has also been part of the preparation for contingents destined for operations in countries like Iraq.
Protection and mobility for five soldiers
The Iveco LMV is a 4×4 tactical armored vehicle developed by the Italian manufacturer Iveco. In Spain, it was designated as the Multipurpose Light Vehicle and named Lince.
It has a capacity for five people and an approximate weight of 7.1 tons. Its dimensions are 4.8 meters in length, 2.2 meters in width, and 2.05 meters in height.
The vehicle can reach a maximum speed of 130 kilometers per hour and has a range of up to 500 kilometers.
Depending on its configuration, the Spanish Lince vehicles can be equipped with 7.62 or 12.70 mm machine guns and various equipment tailored to the needs of each mission.
However, one of the key features that initially drove its acquisition was the combination of mobility and crew protection against threats such as light weapons, mines, and improvised explosive devices.
Nearly two decades of service
The new award also reflects the importance of sustainment within defense programs. The incorporation of new systems is only one part of the investment needed to maintain military capabilities, as vehicles, aircraft, and other equipment subsequently require ongoing maintenance, repair, and parts supply programs.
In the case of the Lince, the Army continues to allocate resources to a platform whose first units were received in 2008.
The number of vehicles currently operational is not specified in the publicly available information from the Army. The historical reference corresponds to the 395 vehicles included in the program approved in 2007, a figure that should not be confused with the number of units still in service today.
The new contract will ensure the availability of the vehicles in the coming years while the Army continues to make progress in the renewal and modernization of its ground mobility assets.
