Brazilian Army merges AFV programmes in reorganisation

The Brazilian Army is merging its principal wheeled and tracked armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) projects, Colonel Marcelo Yoshida of the Army High-Staff revealed at the 10th Conference of Systems and Military Technology, held in Brasília from 23 to 26 November.

The existing Army Strategic Program Guarani (Prg EE Guarani) and Army Strategic Subprogram Armoured Forces (SPrg F Bld) – part of the wider Army Strategic Program Obtaining Full Operational Capability (Prg EE OCOP) – will be merged into a single effort designated Army Strategic Program Armoured Forces (Prg EE F Bld) on 1 January 2022.

Prg EE F Bld is to be run by the Army Projects Office (EPEx) and over the next 20 years, encompass several vehicle projects and associated equipment and services, principally modernising VBR-MSR EE-9 Cascavel 6×6 reconnaissance vehicles and Leopard 1A5BR main battle tanks (MBTs). It is to also buy VBTP-MSR Guarani 6×6 vehicles, VBMT-LSR 4×4 vehicles, VBC OAP 155 mm 8×8 armoured artillery systems, four-man crewed VBC CC MBTs armed with a 120 mm gun, VBC Cav-MSR 8×8 combat vehicle with 105 mm or 120 mm guns, and VBC Fuz tracked infantry fighting vehicles with 20 mm or larger gun to replace the M113BR armoured personnel carrier.