EE-9 Cascavel update

The Brazilian Light Armoured Vehicle, a success in the 1970s and 1980s, is searching for a new lease of life.

Engenheiros Especializados S/A (Engesa) was once a small Brazilian company building agricultural machinery, before changing direction later on by embarking on a somewhat ambitious project to build armoured vehicles. In the early 1970s, it developed a family of military vehicles that included the EE-3 Jararaca and the EE-11 Urutu. Named after the Rattlesnake, the EE-9 Cascavel is an armoured reconnaissance vehicle equipped with six wheels. This light fire support vehicle is based on a 6×6 truck chassis, comprising a rigid axle connected to the hull by double leaf springs and telescopic shock absorbers, which retains two lateral rockers. It was designed to replace the American M8 Greyhound previously in service with the Brazilian Army. The Cascavel has the peculiarity of using a maximum amount of civilian vehicle parts and shares many elements with the EE-11 Urutu armoured personnel carrier (APC). The vehicle has entered service with the Exercito Brasileiro (EB; ENG: Brazilian Army) and the Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais (CFN; ENG: Brazilian Marine Corps).

The vehicle has a crew of three, with the tank commander, driver, and gunner/loader in the turret. Initially powered by a Mercedes engine, it is currently fitted with a water-cooled six-cylinder Detroit Diesel 6V-53N diesel engine producing 212 hp at 2,800 rpm mated to an Allison MT643 automatic transmission. The vehicle can reach a maximum speed of 100 km/h and has a range of over 800 km. The Cascavel has slightly thicker armour than the Urutu, with 16 mm of steel against 12 mm. This has never offered sufficient protection, but the main strengths of the vehicle are its speed and firepower. The engineers have tried several types of turrets, such as the Greyhound turret with a 37 mm gun or the American M3 Stuart tank turret from WWII. Engesa has also marketed a Cascavel variant with the French 90 mm gun from the Panhard AML to compete with more formidable armaments on the international market. This model, intended for export, triggered interest among Middle Eastern countries, with Qatar immediately acquiring 20 vehicles. The Belgian Cockerill Mk.3 90 mm turret was later installed for budgetary reasons and was produced locally. The EE-9 90 mm cannon is capable of firing high explosive (HE), high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT), high-explosive squash head (HESH), white phosphorus smoke (WP) and training shells. In addition, the Brazilian Army developed an armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS) round.

Many developing countries have acquired this cheap armoured vehicle over the years, with its baptism by fire occurring in July 1977 when the Libyan National Army faced the Egyptian Army in a short border war. They have also been deployed in Chad and, more recently, in Iraq. The Brazilian Army deployed the EE-9 during United Nations missions in Mozambique, Angola and Haiti. A total of 1,738 were built, most of which were exported before the company’s bankruptcy in 1993.

Vehicles in service in Brazil

The Brazilian Army evaluated the first eight pre-production units in 1976 and ordered an initial batch of more than 100. The Exercito Brasileiro still officially operates more than 400 EE-9 Cascavels of different models. These vehicles are now old and have relatively low availability. Several hundred vehicles are still serving with 30 mechanised cavalry regiments and squadrons. These are units used for reconnaissance and security missions, such as the 16th Mechanised Cavalry Regiment belonging to the 7th Army Division, with two squadrons of mechanised cavalry. The Cascavel has been the subject of several modernisation projects, particularly in early 2000 with the Fênix Project. Military workshops regularly repair batches of vehicles. The Sao Paulo War Arsenal continues its primary activity of major maintenance tasks, which includes replacing components from the suspension, engine, and electrical systems, hull refurbishment, and swapping out legacy radios for Thales Sotas systems. Santa María (Rio Grande do Sul) and Rio de Janeiro technical facilities have also participate in successive renovations.

On 13 April 2022, the 8th RC Mec reported on its website that the VBR EE-9 presentation was restored after a period of inactivity. Along with this renovation, the Brazilian Army has selected the Centauro II, produced by Leonardo and Iveco under the Armoured Combat Cavalry Vehicle – Medium Wheeled (VBC Cav–MSR –8×8) programme. The Brazilian variant will have a 120 mm armament rather than the 105 mm armament which used on the original Centauro, and is also offered as an option on Centauro II. The overall need of the Brazilian Army is for 221 VBC Cav, even though only 98 vehicles will initially be acquired. The contract is worth up to EUR 2 Bn.

Recent modernisation projects

There have been many attempts to modernise or revitalise the Cascavel fleet with life extension of these vehicles carried out in different countries. Examples include the Israeli company Saymar Ltd, which restored Chile’s vehicle fleet, or the Anham, which has repaired some Iraqi vehicles. In Brazil, the Columbus international company, created by former Engesa employees, has upgraded numerous Cascavels. The Equitron Automação Eletrônico Mecanica company and the Brazilian Army presented the EE-9U standard in 2016 at the Mostra BID Brasil exhibition. The engine installed was the MTU 6R926, developing 320 hp, which, due to its dimensions, required a raising the height of the rear hull roof, and therefore also required raising the level of the turret to allow it to traverse. It features a new steering system, air conditioning unit, run-flat tyres, improved braking system, independent suspension, auxiliary power unit (APU), modern communications and various other changes. The original 90 mm turret system received new training controls, an anti-tank missile launcher, and a multispectral optronic surveillance system. The vehicle platform was also equipped with a night vision system for the driver.

At the LAAD Defence & Security 2019 exhibition, Ares Aeroespacial e Defesa, a subsidiary of Elbit, partnered with Equitron Automação Eletrônico Mecanica to integrate the TORC30 protected remote turret. The TORC30 was developed with the Army Technological Centre (CTEx) to engage land and aerial moving targets. The turret can be equipped with the Rheinmetall MK30-2/ABM 30 mm cannon.

Cascavel on the Global Stage

The actual number of vehicles in active service globally is not as high as many think. The National Guard of Cyprus purchased 124 EE-9s in four lots during the early 1980s, however, most of them are still inactive. In 2017, the Zimbabwe National Army’s Cascavels were not seen on active duty when the Army led a coup d’état. The situation with Colombian vehicles is not particularly positive either, despite modifications in the early 2010s with the installation of the IGS-4S thermal sight from the South African company Rippel Effect. The Paraguayan armoured vehicles are not in a better situation, even less so those belonging to Suriname, despite a recent donation of renovated Brazilian vehicles. In the Middle East, the technical availability is not much better as it seems to have almost disappeared from the Iraqi order of battle.

AKAER modernisation in 2022

To initiate the modernisation of its Cascavels, the Brazilian Army launched the call for tender n° 01/2021-DF, published on 5 November 2021; it relates to hiring a specialised company to carry out the service modernisation of nine armoured vehicles. The task involved providing two prototypes and a pilot batch of seven armoured vehicles. The deal is valued at BRL 74.6 M (USD 14.2 M). Several groupings of companies submitted offers, including the consortia formed by Akaer, Germany’s Rheinmetall with the Brazilian company Equitron, and the Israeli company Elbit Systems in association with Ares.

On 24 February 2022, the Akaer group was selected for the next stage and the winner of the tender was officially announced on 4 May 2022. On 7 July 2022, the Brazilian Army Manufacturing Directorate and Akaer Engenharia SA signed the modernisation contract at the Brazilian Army headquarters. The members of the Ground Force consortium selected are Akaer Engenharia, Opto Tecnologia Optrônica and Universal – Importação, Exportação e Comércio. Akaer will be the prime contractor for the project, while Universal is entrusted with system integration and manufacturing responsibility, and Opto will take care of the sensors and onboard electronics. The delivery schedule for the upgraded vehicles will span eight years with the first deliveries was scheduled for the first quarter of 2023. The modernisation should cover between 98 and 201 vehicles.

The technical specifications of the programme indicate the replacement of the powerpack (engine and transmission) and the entire suspension system. The new powerpack is also in the final definition phase, and the first to be offered was the Cummins ISB 5.9 six-cylinder in-line engine, developing 325 hp. However, now the more modern ISB 6.7, developing 350 hp, is being examined. The project also provides for the installation of an electric turret drive system to allow traverse through 360° in 20 seconds. The question of armament has drawn the most criticism, since the gun of the Cascavel will not be modified. The EC-90, a 90 mm/L39 gun based on the Cockerill MK III, when equipped with HEAT rounds, has an effective range of only 1,600 m (using HEAT rounds) and an armour-piercing capability of approximately 250 mm of rolled homogeneous armour equivalent (RHAe), which is insufficient to defeat modern heavy armour.

To mitigate this problem, 30% of modernised vehicles will have a third generation anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) system with a semi-automatic command to line-of-sight control (SACLOS) guidance system. Although the model has yet to be chosen, it is required to possess a range greater than 4,000 m, and the missile launcher will be capable of elevating from -9° to +20°. The upgrade also involves the installation of modern optronics and fire control system, along with a command and control system supported by sensors distributed throughout the vehicle. Opto will provide the day and night vision system for all three crew. The renovation will also provide a central tyre inflation system (CTIS), air conditioning, and the Harris RF7800 VS 560 radio station, which has also been selected to equip Brazil’s Centauro II 8×8 units.

According to Akaer’s CEO César Silva, the Army’s initiative to adapt the Cascavel to the modern battlefield provides a boost to the Brazilian economy. He stated: “The defence industry incentive contributes to the economic and technological development of our country, in addition to job creation.”

Is the Cascavel Outdated?

According to some Brazilian defence specialists, the Cascavel era is already over. With the acquisition of the Centauro 2, any resources to modernise the Cascavel are seen as a wasteful expense with virtually no return, bringing no tactical or operational benefit to the Land Forces. Additionally, the Cascavel’s level of armour protection is so light that it is seen as unsuitable for armed escort in modern peacekeeping missions. The integration of Rafael Spike ATGM, a missile that costs more than the vehicle itself, illustrates the highly questionable nature of this modernisation project. Aware of the Armed Force’s budgetary constraints, one of the main objectives of this programme is to keep the cost of the modernised Cascavel to a maximum of 30% of the cost of acquiring the new armoured fighting vehicle. This is intended to allow the Brazilian Army to both maintain its operating capacity and fulfil its missions.

Jean Auran