Iveco Defence Vehicle and GGG decided to make a concrete contribution to the current vaccination campaign, providing a MUV MultiVaxVan (a multirole vehicle specially outfitted for vaccine transportation) to the special Commission for the Covid-19 emergency.
The handover ceremony to General Francesco Paolo Figliuolo was held on September 21st at the “Pio IX” Officer’s Club in Rome, in the presence of the Defence Minister, the Hon. Lorenzo Guerini, the Under-secretary for Defence, the Senator Stefania Pucciarelli, the Under-secretary for Defence, the Hon. Giorgio Mulè, the Chief of Staff of the Esercito Italiano, General Pietro Serino, along with the highest political and military authorities of the Ministry of Defence and the special commission for the Covid-19 emergency.
Equipped with a “Multivax” refrigeration unit and G-Torque chassis made by G.G.G., the MUV, a multirole vehicle developed for military use by Iveco Defence Vehicles is capable of transporting vaccines at three different temperatures all at the same time: -80°C, -20°C and 0°C for a total of around 1 million overall doses at full load. It is also equipped with a tracking system for planning and monitoring its route and for managing and scheduling maintenance interventions.
The MultiVax is a stand-alone self-sufficient module developed by G.G.G. using innovative, patent-protected technology. It represents the cutting edge in vaccine transport and storage methods, a unique technology that can be used both for transferring doses and for setting up vaccination centres. Indeed, the vehicle is capable of disembarking its equipment in just a few minutes thanks to the G-Torque chassis, and the MultiVax module can operate in perfect efficiency even in hostile environments.
As the Minister for Defence, the Hon. Lorenzo Guerini himself commented, “the Esercito Italiano have made an essential contribution during this health emergency, and shown their capacity and dedication to service in concrete terms without making a fuss about it. Over these months General Figliuolo and the entire commission have done an extraordinary job, and continue to do so. This vehicle, developed and manufactured by two Italian companies, Iveco Defence Vehicles and G.G.G., and made available for public service, will certainly be an effective resource as the vaccine campaign continues. The project for this vehicle is proof of the very close and flexible collaboration there is between Defence and Industry. A tangible example of the marked capacity to innovate of our Aerospace, Defence and Security industry, fruit of industrial and entrepreneurial competence, excellence in technological research and development, with significant repercussions in terms of developing a highly skilled workforce. A synergy necessary now more than ever to guarantee Italy is rightful place in the circle of technologically advanced nations”.
As General Francesco Paolo Figliuolo went on to point out “this vaccine transporter vehicle that Iveco Defence Vehicles and G.G.G. have this day handed over to the Commission, is a shining example of public-private sector synergy at the service of the vaccination campaign. Through this great joint-effort, we have managed to vaccinate 82% of the over-12 population thanks to a capillary distribution structure that can now count on technology at the base of this vehicle, produced by two fine examples of excellence in the Italian Defence industry”.
“For us, the delivery of the MUV MultiVaxVan to the special Commission for the Covid-19 Emergency is a great reason for pride” added Claudio Catalano, CEO of Iveco Defence Vehicle. “It’s a highly robust, high-mobility multi-role vehicle, characteristics that allow it to reach absolutely anywhere within the national territory, even in the most hard to reach mountain villages. This vehicle is a demonstration of our support for the special Commission for the Covid-19 Emergency, a concrete contribution to the progress of the vaccination campaign”.
Giovanni Grasso, who represents the third generation of the G.G.G. family business, had this to add: “Taking up this challenge with Iveco Defence Vehicle to develop a vehicle capable of transporting vaccines in this emergency, but capable of easy conversion to other mission profiles was an arduous task, even with the advanced technology the vehicle employs. It is our pleasure and honour to offer our contribution to solving the Covid-19 emergency by making this significant result available to the special Commission, achieved thanks to the extraordinary synergy between the teams of both companies”.