| EE-9 Cascavel | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Engesa EE-9 of theBrazilian Army at a public exhibit in 2022 | |
| Type | Armoured car |
| Place of origin | Brazil |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1974–present[1] |
| Used by | SeeOperators |
| Wars | Colombian Civil War Western Sahara War Egyptian–Libyan War Chadian–Libyan War Iran–Iraq War Gulf War Second Congo War Iraq War Internal conflict in Burma First Libyan Civil War War in Iraq (2013–2017) Boko Haram insurgency Second Libyan Civil War |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Engesa |
| Designed | 1970[1] |
| Manufacturer | Engesa |
| Unit cost | USD $500,000(new)[2] |
| Produced | 1974–1993[3] |
| No. built | 1,738[4] |
| Variants | SeeVariants |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 12 tonnes (13short tons; 12long tons)[5] |
| Length | 6.29 m (20 ft 8 in)[5] |
| length | 5.25 m (17 ft 3 in)(hull)[5] |
| Width | 2.59 m (8 ft 6 in)[5] |
| Height | 2.60 m (8 ft 6 in)[5] |
| Crew | 3 (commander, driver, gunner)[1] |
Main armament | 1 × 90mm Engesa EC-90 (44 rounds),[1] 2 ×MAX 1.2 ACanti-tank missiles(for Cascavel NG only)[6] |
Secondary armament | 2×FN MAG (2,200–2,400 rounds)[5][1] |
| Engine | Detroit Diesel 6V-53N 5.2 L (320 in3) 6-cylinder water-cooled diesel[5] 158 kW (212 hp) at 2,800 rpm[5] |
| Power/weight | 15.82hp/tonne[1] |
| Suspension | 6X6 double axle boomerang drive |
| Ground clearance | 0.375 m (1 ft 2.8 in) |
| Fuel capacity | 360 L (95 US gal)[5] |
Operational range | 750 km (470 mi)[5] |
| Maximum speed | 100 km/h (62 mph)[7] |
TheEE-9Cascavel (Portuguese pronunciation:[kɐskɐˈvɛl], translated toRattlesnake) is a six-wheeledBrazilianarmoured car developed primarily for reconnaissance. It was engineered byEngesa in 1970 as a replacement for Brazil's aging fleet ofM8 Greyhounds.[8] The vehicle was first fitted with the Greyhound's 37mm main gun, and subsequently, a French turret adopted from thePanhard AML-90. Later models carry unique Engesa turrets with a Belgian 90mmCockerill Mk.3 cannon produced under licence as theEC-90.[1]
The Cascavel shares many components with theEE-11 Urutu, itsarmoured personnel carrier counterpart; both entered production in 1974 and are now operated by over 20 nations in South America, Africa, and the Middle East.[8] Rights to the design were also sold to theUnited States via theFMC Corporation.[9] About 2,767 Cascavels and Urutus were manufactured before Engesa ceased operations in 1993.[8]
Throughout the early 1960s, Brazil's bilateral defence agreements with the United States ensured easy access to a post-war surplus of American military equipment, including a number ofWorld War II-vintageM8 Greyhound armoured cars. The Brazilian arms industry limited itself to restoring and maintaining this obsolete hardware until 1964 when American involvement in theVietnam War placed restrictions on the amount of defence technology available for export.[10] Brazil responded by creating an indigenous import substitution programme in 1968 aimed at reproducing US equipment already in service.[11] Already in 1966 an article in the military periodicalA Defesa Nacional had argued that the state of nationalautomotive industry,highways andPetrobras fuel production made it viable to locally produce an 8–10 ton, 6x6 armoured vehicle,[12] and by 1970 theBrazilian Army was developing an updated Greyhound known simply by its Portuguese initials, CRR (Carro de Reconhecimento sobre Rodas).[8]
Engesa, then an obscure civilian engineering firm, took over the project and by November 1970 a prototype of an entirely new vehicle using the Greyhound's basic layout was completed.[1] The new EE-9 Cascavel entered the pre-production phase between 1972 and 1973.[13] Assembly lines for the Cascavel and its armoured personnel carrier counterpart, theEE-11 Urutu, were opened in 1974.[1] The hulls were purchased by the Brazilian Army but mounted the same antiquated37mm cannon and turret recycled from its elderly Greyhounds.[14] To compete with more formidable armament available on the international market, Engesa also marketed a heavily modified Cascavel with an automatic transmission and the same 90mm (3.54 in) low-pressure gun found on thePanhard AML.[5] This model, intended for export, drew interest in the Middle East and twenty were immediately purchased by Qatar.[15]
The Qatari Cascavel sale proved to be a major success for Engesa, and Brazil's first successful inroad into the Arabian arms trade.Abu Dhabi followed suit with an order for two hundred Cascavels in 1977. Both Iraq and Libya chose the Cascavel in preference to the Panhard AML-90 orERC-90 Sagaie,[2] with the former negotiating a $400 million deal for the delivery of two hundred Cascavels and two hundred Urutus.[15] Following the Libyan sale, Engesa unveiled a new production model carrying a Belgian designed, Cockerill main gun[8] manufactured under licence as theEC-90 in Brazil.[5]
Gaddafi'sLibyan Army successfully deployed a number of EE-9 Cascavels against Egyptian tanks, likelyT-54/55s orT-62s, during theLibyan–Egyptian War in 1977.[16] Libyan Cascavels also saw action inChad, where they engagedAML-90s of theFrench Foreign Legion and French Marines.[17] An unknown number of these armoured cars were later donated to thePolisario Front[18] andTogo,[19] while others remained in service as late as the2011 Libyan Civil War.[20] Cascavels were still in use during the2016 battle of Sirte against theIslamic State.[21]
Chad'sTransitional Government of National Unity (GUNT) received five EE-9 Cascavels from Libya in 1986.[22] Over the course of theChadian–Libyan conflict, seventy-nine ex-Libyan Cascavels were captured or recovered from theAouzou Strip by the Chadian military, which continues to hold them in storage.[23]
TheNational Army of Colombia acquired 128 new EE-9 Cascavels in 1982, in order to modernize its equipment in case of an armed conflict with Venezuela.[24] The armoured cars saw their first and most meaningful action during thePalace of Justice siege in 1985, when members of theM-19 guerrilla group took over the Palace of Justice inBogotá. The EE-9s made some direct hits against the structure's external walls, which started a fire that destroyed the building and killed several hostages.[25]
During theIran–Iraq War, EE-9 Cascavels were operated by Iraqi garrisons near thePersian Gulf. The armored cars were frequently able to outmaneuver the heavier IranianChieftain tanks and tracked combat vehicles on the relatively flat, sandy terrain near the coastal region.[26] Coalition air strikes later destroyed several north ofKuwait City inOperation Desert Storm.[27] Following the2003 invasion of Iraq, the surviving fleet was condemned for scrap; however, American technical personnel did restore thirty-five to working order in 2008 and presented them to theNew Iraqi Army.[28] Locally modified EE-9 were refurbished by Iraqi militias of thePopular Mobilization Forces, with some having their 90mm replaced or supplemented byDShK orZPU machine guns, 107mmType 63 rockets or a2A28 Grom gun. They were used against Islamic State forces.[21]
Zimbabwe procured ninety EE-9 Cascavels in 1984 as a suitable replacement for theEland Mk7.[22] At least one Zimbabwean Cascavel squadron deployed intoMozambique during theMozambican Civil War to protect Harare's primary commercial links inTete Province. The armoured cars provided armed escort for local convoys and patrolled the roads to preempt attacks bySouth African-backedMozambican National Resistance (RENAMO) insurgents.[29] During Zimbabwe's intervention in theSecond Congo War,Ilyushin Il-76s commandeered from local charter firms were used to airlift twelve Cascavels toN'djili Airport.[30] From there they subsequently engaged Rwandan troops advancing onKinshasa.[31] Some were abandoned by Zimbabwean troops in the Congo after being sabotaged beyond repair,[32] while four others were captured by rebel factions.[33] Few remain in present service due to lack of funds to source new parts from Brazil.[34]
The EE-9 Cascavel was also saw combat during theMyanmar civil war on the side of theState Administration Council, taking some losses.[35]
The EE-9 Cascavel has found favour with many armies due to its simplified design and use of components already ubiquitous to civilian industry.[36] Its low cost next to comparable Western armoured cars makes it an attractive purchase to developing nations in particular. At the height of the Cold War, the strictly commercial nature of Engesa sales—devoid of any political supplier restraints—was also perceived as an acceptable alternative to arms fromNATO and theWarsaw Pact.[36]
All EE-9 Cascavels have a similar layout—the driver is seated at the front of the vehicle and to the left, turrets are typically fitted above the centre, with motor and transmission situated at the rear.[1] The Cascavel Mk II has a manual turret, but all later variants have electrically powered traverse.[5] Cascavel Mk IIIs are equipped with an Engesa EC-90 90mm gun firinghigh explosive (HE),high explosive anti-tank (HEAT) orhigh explosive squash head (HESH) shells in cartridge form; a coaxial 7.62mm machine gun is also mounted to the left of the main armament.[37] The EC-90 has an elevation of +15° and a depression of -8°.[1] It is not stabilised and only mounts a rudimentary opticalfire-control system, which has been upgraded with a laserrangefinder in Brazilian service.[5] Late production Cascavels were fitted with run-flat tyres and a unique central tyre pressure regulator accessible from the driving compartment.[1]
A boxy, boat-shaped vehicle, the EE-9 Cascavel has a steep frontal glacis which slopes upwards and back towards the horizontal hull roof, with recesses for the headlamps and a thick glacis plate over the driver's seat.[1] The hull sides are nearly vertical, but also sloped inwards towards the roof. There is a low, well-rounded turret on the forward section of the hull with a long, tapered gun barrel and a triple baffle muzzle brake.[7]
Bolivia: 24[22]
Brazil: 600 (409 operational in 2010)[42] 98 being modernized to the "Cascavel NG" standard,[40] remaining in process of replacement by theCentauro II 8×8.[43]
Burkina Faso: 24[44]
Chad: 20[45]
Colombia: 121[22]
Cyprus: 126[22]
Democratic Republic of the Congo: 19[46]
Ecuador: 22[44] to 28[22]
Gabon: 14[47]
Ghana: 3[48][44]
Guyana: 18[44]
Iran: 130 to 150;[44][23] 35 operational as of 2004[update].[49]
Iraq: 232 to 364;[44][4] 35 operational as of 2008[update].[28]
Libya: 380 to 500;[44][22] 70 operational as of 2011[update].[20]
Morocco: 7[44]
Myanmar: 150[50]
Nigeria: 75[22]
Paraguay: 28[22] to 30[44]
Qatar: 20[22]
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic: 29[44]
Suriname: 6[44] to 7[22]
Tunisia: 24[22]
Uruguay: 15[22]
Zimbabwe: 90;[22] 10 operational and 77 reserve as of 2011[update].[33]
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