Brazil Received İts First Centauro II 8×8 Wheeled Armored Vehicle
On 17 August, the Brazilian land forces took delivery of the first Centauro II 8×8 wheeled armored vehicle from CIO, a joint venture between Italian Iveco Defence Vehicles and Oto Melara. This delivery, which represents an essential milestone in the Viatura Blindada de Combate de Cavalaria – Média Sobre Rodas [VBC Cav MSR 8×8] project, was transported to the port of Rio de Janeiro on the container ship Grande Francia sailing under the Italian flag.
The press service of the Brazilian Army (Exército Brasileiro) announced that the first unit is designed for technical trials and will undergo evaluations at the Army Evaluation Centre (Rio de Janeiro – RJ), the Armoured Training Centre (Santa Maria – RS), and the Barão de São Borja Training Camp (Rosário do Sul – RS), respectively. The agency also reported that the second unit, designed for the same purpose, is on its way to the country and will go through the same process as the first vehicle when it arrives in Rio.
Following the successful completion of the final technical and operational evaluation of the first two prototype armored vehicles, Brazil will formalize its decision to purchase 98 vehicles from the CIO (Consorzio Iveco Oto Melara) at an estimated cost of EUR 900 million in a master contract. As a first step, Brazil will purchase a second batch of seven Centauro II vehicles from the CIO for doctrinal trials. These vehicles are expected to be ordered by the end of this year and arrive in Brazil by 2026. The remaining 89 series production vehicles will be built by Iveco and Leonardo’s Brazilian subsidiary in Sete Lagoas until 2037.
According to the Brazilian Ministry of Defence, the acquisition will help the Brazilian military remain a highly deterrent player capable of suppressing potential threats and will gradually replace part of the existing fleet of EE-9 Cascavel 6×6 armored reconnaissance vehicles. Brazil, which already has around 400 EE-9s [around 100 of which have been modernized], aims to modernize all of its older wheeled armored medium combat vehicles by ordering 123 more Centauro IIs in the long term if financial conditions permit.
The Viatura Blindada de Combate de Cavalaria – Média Sobre Rodas [VBC Cav MSR 8×8] project is only part of the Army’s Armoured Forces Strategic Programme (Prg EE F Bld). Within the scope of Prg EE F Bld, Brazil is also modernizing the VBTP-MSR Guarani, VBMT-LSR Guaicurus, MaxxPro MRV-P vehicles, EE-9 Cascavel vehicles, M113BR armored vehicles, and Leopard 1A5BR tanks to contribute to the operational readiness of the Land Forces and increase its deterrent capacity until 2040. In addition to all these modernization works, Tatra Force is strengthening its land forces by purchasing a 155 mm ATMOS wheeled howitzer on a T815-7 6×6 chassis.