Italian Freccia Vehicles Join NATO Drills in Bulgaria

Italian Freccia armored vehicles took part in live-fire exercises alongside Bulgarian BMP-1s as part of NATO’s multinational battle group in Bulgaria.

The NATO Multinational Division Southeast released photos of the drills.

It was the first time Italian units operating Freccia vehicles left Novo Selo to join live-fire training with Bulgarian forces at the Kazanlak training area.

The drills are aimed at improving interoperability between the multinational NATO forces and Bulgaria’s 61st Mechanized Brigade, which operates BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles.

Italy plays a key role in the NATO battalion in Bulgaria, established in March 2022 following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The Italian contingent includes troops from the 82nd Infantry Regiment “Torino” and the 6th Bersaglieri Regiment “Trapani,” totaling 740 personnel—making up the majority of NATO’s roughly 1,000 troops stationed in the country. They are based at the Novo Selo training area.

Both regiments are equipped with Freccia infantry fighting vehicles armed with automatic cannons and self-propelled 120 mm mortars. The Freccia shares a platform with the Centauro wheeled tank destroyer, from which its design was derived.

The Freccia features a HITFIST 25 Plus turret from OTO Melara, armed with a 25 mm Oerlikon KBA-B03 cannon, a coaxial 7.62 mm MG3 machine gun, and a launcher for two Spike MR and LR anti-tank guided missiles, with effective ranges of 2,500 and 4,000 meters.

Italian units are also equipped with Iveco LMV tactical vehicles, Centauro tank destroyers, and Skyguard U1 air defense systems, all visible in training footage.

In addition, the Italian Air Force periodically deploys Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Bulgaria under NATO’s enhanced air policing mission.

Last year, U.S.-based International Armored Group opened a production facility in Bulgaria for RILA 8×8 armored vehicles, which are similar in concept to Freccia.