The EE-9 Cascavel is a six-wheeled Brazilian armoured car developed
primarily for reconnaissance. It was engineered by Engesa in 1970 as a
replacement for the Brazil's ageing fleet of M8 Greyhounds. The vehicle was
first fitted with the Greyhound's 37mm main gun and subsequently with a French
turret adopted from the Panhard AML-90. Later models carry unique Engesa turrets
with a Belgian 90mm Cockerill Mk.3 cannon produced under licence.
The Cascavel shares many components with the EE-11 Urutu, its armoured personnel
carrier counterpart; both entered production in 1974 and are now operated
by over 20 nations in South America, Africa, and the Middle East. Rights to
the design were also sold to the American FMC Corporation.
About 2,767 Cascavels and Urutus were manufactured before Engesa declared
bankruptcy in 1993. History
The EE-9 Cascavel was developed in Brazil by Engesa, S. José dos Campos,
according to specifications of the Brazilian army. The EE-9 was designed as
a replacement to the M8 Greyhound. The EE-9 was a huge export success,
being sold to numerous countries in South America and the Middle East. Most
of these vehicles were manufactured in 1983.
The EE-9 is still in service in several countries and currently the Brazilian
Army is running a modernisation program for the EE-9 and the EE-11, enabling
them to remain in service until at least 2020.
Variants Cascavel I: Known as "Cascavel Magro".
Initial vehicles are armed with the 37 mm gun from the old M3 light tanks.
Cascavel II: Known as "Cascavel Gordo". Turret ring widened so it could use the
French H 90 turret with a 90 mm DEFA D 921 gun for export.
Cascavel III: Equipped with an Engesa turret mounting a 90 mm Belgian
Cockerill Mk 3 gun produced under licence.
Cascavel IV: New engine and transmission, improved day and night
optics with laser rangefinder, and a 12.7 mm antiaircraft MG.
New life The new engine used in the prototype of
Urutu generates 230 hp, giving a power gain of 72 hp against the old engine's
158 hp. The prototype reached a top speed of 110
km/h on clear surface and proved capable of reaching 80 km/h in an off-road
situation. Operators
= Current operators= Bolivia: 24
Brazil: Principal user/builder, 600 units.
Burkina Faso: 24 Burma: 150
Colombia: 120 Cyprus: 126
Democratic Republic of the Congo: 19 Dominican Republic: 20
Ecuador: 28 Gabon: 14
Guyana: 6 Iran: 35
Iraq: 400; 35 operational. Libya: 500; 70 operational.
Nigeria: 75 Paraguay: 28
Qatar: 20 Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
Suriname: 7 Tunisia: 24
Uruguay: 15 Zimbabwe: 90; 10 operational and 77
reserve. = Former Operators=
Chile: 83 Chad: 5
Gallery See also
Panhard AML References
^ a b c Ogorkiewicz, Richard. Tanks: 100 Years of Evolution. Oxford, UK: Osprey
Publishing. ISBN 9781472806703. ^ Latin American Research Review Volume
26, Number 3, Pages 83 ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Trade
Registers". Armstrade.sipri.org. Retrieved 2013-06-20.
^ "Why Russia". Retrieved 12 March 2015. ^ The Libyan Uprising: An Uncertain
Trajectory ^ Cordesman, Anthony H. A Tragedy of
Arms: Military and Security Developments in the Maghreb. Praeger Publishers. p.
62. ISBN 0-275-96936-3. ^ Zimbabwe Army crippled: Report exposes
decay External links
EE-9 at GlobalSecurity.org EE-9 Cascavel Véhicule blindé léger at
Armyrecognition.com