Ecuador accepts new Jaguar-1 armoured personnel carrier

Jaguar-1 armoured personnel carrier has been accepted into the Ecuadorian Army. (Erich Saumeth Cadavid)

Ecuador has incorporated the first operational unit of its Jaguar-1 armoured personnel carrier (APC), the Ecuadorian Army revealed during an official event on 23 April.

The new domestically-produced mine-resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicle has not been officially presented, according to officials at the event.

The system was designed by the army on a Mercedes-Benz chassis adapted with structural reinforcements and protection for military use. This configuration prioritises crew survivability against ballistic threats and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), military sources told Janes .

The Jaguar-1 is designed to transport up to 12 personnel, with a functional architecture geared toward internal security missions, patrolling in high-threat environments, and deployment in asymmetric scenarios with risk of ambushes, according to the army. Up to 60 units could be produced in a preliminary phase, which would enable the progressive standardisation of protected mobility vehicles within different units, according to the military sources.

The vehicle is expected to support Ecuador as its military maintains engagements in operations against drug trafficking and insurgent groups.

For more information, please see Ecuador incorporates its first nationally manufactured MRAP