FAVS 2024: Brazil details MBT and IFV procurement plans

BAE Systems Hägglunds demonstrated its CV90 IFV to the Brazilian Army at the Centro de Avaliações do Exército in July 2023. (BAE Systems Hägglunds)

Lieutenant General Tales Eduardo Areco Vilella, head of the Manufacturing Directorate of the Brazilian Army, detailed his country's procurement plans for a new medium main battle tank (MBT) and infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) on the last day of SAE Media Group's Future Armoured Vehicles Survivability (FAVS) 2024 conference held in London from 11 to 13 November.

Brazil plans to acquire 65 MBTs and 78 IFVs in 2037–40 following the procurement in 2024 of samples for evaluation, for which Lt Gen Vilella said the request for information (RFI) had been delayed until December. The vehicles should have ballistic protection, with the possibility of an additional armour and active and passive protection systems. They should have stabilisation, sensors, ballistic computers, laser rangefinders, thermal cameras, and automatic target tracking. The MBT should have a crew of four and the IFV should have a crew of three and carry eight soldiers. The MBT will be armed with a 120 mm gun and the IFV with a cannon of a calibre of at least 30 mm, with both vehicles being equipped with a 7.62 mm machine gun and smoke grenade launchers.

In the meantime, Brazil plans the partial revitalisation of its Leopard 1A5 MBTs, with the replacement of their optronics and making its turret electrically driven. To increase fleet availability, Brazil is seeking to nationalise the supply of spare parts, with batteries, pads, pumps, brake disks, and brake pads produced by its three arsenals or the Brazilian defence industry.