Private company

OTO Melara

Subsidiary of Finmeccanica

OTO Melara was a subsidiary of the Italian company Finmeccanica, today Leonardo, active in the defence sector, with factories in Brescia and La Spezia. From 1 January 2016, the activities of OTO Melara merged into Leonardo's Defence Systems Division, within the Electronics, Defence and Security Systems Sector.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 20, 2026.

Overview

1905Founded1
  • Industrymechanical engineering, weapons industry1
  • HeadquartersLa Spezia1
  • Founded inLa Spezia1
  • Websitewww.otomelara.it
  • Legal formsocietà per azioni1
  • LEI549300TSW5ZM1YUWL7133
  • StatusActive3
  • LEI statusLapsed (not renewed)3
  • Registered addressPIAZZA MONTE GRAPPA 4, 00195 Rome, Italy3

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Finmeccanica sede centrale
Photo: Carlo Dani, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons5

OTO Melara was a subsidiary of the Italian company Finmeccanica, today Leonardo, active in the defence sector, with factories in Brescia and La Spezia.2

Corporate structure

OTO Melara sits at the top of its group. 2 entities, 1 country on record. Switch between the flow chart and the network, and select any entity to see its details.

  • OTO Melara La Spezia, Italy
    • La Spezia Subsidiary · Province of La Spezia, Italy

Built from parent and subsidiary links from GLEIF, the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (CC0); subsidiaries, stakes and holdings from Wikidata (CC0). Each entity in the chart links to its source.

The story

Pre–World War I

It was founded in 1905 as a joint venture of Vickers and Terni Steelworks, Cantiere navale fratelli Orlando and Cantieri navali Odero. Investment was also provided by Giuseppe Orlando and Attilio Odero. During World War I, Vickers Terni produced many weapons with calibre 40 mm and upwards. In 1929 the company was renamed Odero Terni Orlando with the abbreviation OTO. During World War II, mostly heavy guns for battleships were produced.

Post–World War II

In 1953 the company took the name OTO Melara.

Before Italy joined NATO, OTO Melara produced civilian-use products, like tractors and looms, but quickly returned to the production of weapons. On 1 December 2001, the naval artillery division of OTO Melara merged with that of Breda Meccanica Bresciana to form Otobreda. The combined entity produces the DARDO CIWS, Otobreda 76 mm and Otobreda 127/54 Compact naval guns. OTO Melara's land defence operations are part of the Leonardo conglomerate.

From Wikipedia’s article on OTO Melara, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Products and brands

  • firearm

Listed on Wikidata.1

Vehicles manufactured

Ariete Main Battle Tank

OF-40 Main battle tank

B1 Centauro Wheeled Tank Destroyer

Dardo Infantry Fighting Vehicle

Read the full text

VBM Freccia 8×8 Wheeled Infantry Fighting Vehicle

Puma 6×6 and Puma 4×4 Wheeled Armoured Personnel Carrier

Palmaria self-propelled artillery

Otomatic anti-aircraft tank (SPAAG)

Weapons manufactured

OTO Melara Mod 56 105mm/L14 Pack Howitzer

OTO Marlin 40

OTO Breda 120/44 (for the Ariete tank)

Hitfact turret (3-operators turret)

Hitfact mk1

OTO Breda 105/52

Hitfact mk2

OTO Breda 105/52

OTO Breda 120/45

Hitfist two-man turret armed with a 25mm or 30mm automatic cannon and 7.62mm coaxial machine gun (plus two TOW launchers as option)

Hitfist OWS Remotely operated turret armed with a 25mm or 30mm automatic cannon and 7.62mm coaxial machine gun (plus two TOW launchers as option)

Hitrole Remote Weapon Station for 7.62mm or 12.7mm machine gun or 40mm automatic grenade launcher

Small calibre naval turrets 12.7 mm LIONFISH and 20 mm LINOFISH-20

Otobreda 127/54 Compact naval gun

Otobreda 127/64 Lightweight naval gun

76/62mm Allargato

Otobreda 76 mm naval gun

Otomat Anti-ship missile

Skyguard "Aspide" Anti-Air missile system

SIDAM 25 anti-aircraft gun

DARDO CIWS a twin 40mm naval gun mounting

MSS-1.2 Anti tank guided missile

GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb under license from Boeing

Ammunition manufactured

Vulcano (munition) - 76/127/155mm

In the last decade the company has produced between 900 and 1000 GBU-31 and GBU-32 JDAMs on license. At the moment it is working on the production of 500 GBU-39s for the Aeronautica Militare.

The naval defence operations produce a wide range of automatic naval artillery, rocket and missile launchers and remote controlled small calibre defence cannons.

From Wikipedia’s article on OTO Melara, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Subsidiaries and ownership

Parent company

Owners

Subsidiaries

  • La Spezia

From Wikidata.1

Timeline

  1. Dec 31, 2015Dissolved Dissolved1
  2. 1905Founded Founded in La Spezia1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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