Brazilian Army to launch infantry fighting vehicle procurement next year

The Brazilian Army expects to kick off a procurement programme in 2022 to acquire infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), the service told Janes.

The guidelines to launch the project, initiate a viability study, and draft the acquisition model are scheduled to be approved by 2022, the army said. The number of vehicles to be purchased is yet to be defined.

The first operational, technical, logistics, and industrial requirements to support the procurement of the Viatura Blindada de Combate de Fuzileiros (VBC Fuz) were approved in February 2020.

The project is part of the 2020–39 Armoured Forces Subprogram (SPrg F Bld) of the Army Strategic Program for Obtaining Full Operational Capacity (Prg EE OCOP), and is aimed at replacing the 596 M113B (198), M113BR (386), and M113A2 MK1 (12) armoured personnel carriers (APCs) in service with Brazil’s armoured infantry battalions, armoured combat engineer battalions, and armoured cavalry regiments.

The army is seeking a low thermal and radar signature, tracked, mine- and ballistic-protected platform with maximum gross vehicle weight (GVW) of 45 tons, a crew consisting of three (commander, driver, and gunner), internal space for seven or more equipped combatants, and with a range exceeding 300 km, measuring a maximum of 8 m in length, 4 m in width, and 3.6 m in height.

It must include an air conditioning unit; an automatic fire detection and suppression system; a command and control system with radio, intercom, and battle management system; an automatic or electronically controlled semi-automatic transmission; a multifuel engine; a mechanical or servo-assisted steering system; an auxiliary power unit; side-mounted protection skirts; and a driver’s thermal viewer, the army said.