EE-11 Urutu | |
---|---|
![]() EE-11 Urutu of the Brazilian Army in 2012 | |
Type | Amphibious wheeled Armored personnel carrier |
Place of origin | Brazil |
Service history | |
Used by | See Operators |
Wars | Chadian–Libyan conflict Iran–Iraq War Gulf War Colombian conflict Libyan Civil War (2011) Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017) 2024 Ecuadorian conflict |
Production history | |
Designer | José Luiz Whitaker Ribeiro [1] |
Designed | 1970 [2] |
Manufacturer | Engesa [2] |
Unit cost | USD $149,100 (new) [3] |
Produced | 1974–1990 [2] |
No. built | 1,719 [3] |
Variants | See Variants |
Specifications | |
Mass | 14 tonnes (15 short tons; 14 long tons) [4] |
Length | 6.1 m (20 ft 0 in) [4] |
Width | 2.85 m (9 ft 4 in) [4] |
Height | 2.12 m (6 ft 11 in) (hull) [4] |
Crew | 2 (driver, gunner) + 11 passengers [2] |
Main armament | 12.7mm M2 Browning machine gun (1,000 stowed rounds) [2] |
Engine | Detroit Diesel 6V-53T 6-cylinder water-cooled diesel [2] 212 hp (158 kW) [5] |
Power/weight | 18.6hp /tonne (13.8 kW/tonne) [4] |
Transmission | Allison MT-643 Automatic; 4 forward and 1 reverse gears [4] |
Suspension | Independent suspension with double-action telescopic shock dampers (front) [4] Double axle boomerang with walking beams (rear) [4] |
Ground clearance | 0.38 m (1 ft 3 in) [2] |
Fuel capacity | 380 litres [5] |
Operational range | 850 km [2] |
Maximum speed | 90 km/h (55 mph), [5] 8 km/h (water) |
The EE-11 Urutu is a Brazilian amphibious armored personnel carrier. It was based on the drive train and chassis components of the EE-9 Cascavel armored car and initially emerged as part of a project to develop an amphibious troop-carrying counterpart to that vehicle for the Brazilian Army and Marine Corps (CFN). [3] The first pre-production models entered service with the CFN in 1973 [3] and serial production commenced the following year. [2] While the CFN declined to adopt the EE-11 Urutu in large numbers, the Brazilian Army was more forthcoming and purchased 223; [6] these entered service in 1975. [2]
The Urutu was the first fully amphibious armored vehicle developed in Brazil: it can propel itself through water at speeds of 8 km/h via twin propellers. [5] Urutus proved to be extremely popular in the Middle East, particularly with Libya and Iraq, both of which purchased large numbers to complement their fleets of Cascavel armored cars. [1] Iraq deployed its Urutus during the Iran–Iraq War, which became, in effect, a proving ground for the vehicle type. [7] A number of specialized variants were later developed for internal security purposes, vehicle recovery, air defense, cargo transport, and medical evacuation. [2] One hybrid variant was modified to accept the same 90 mm turret-mounted cannon as its Cascavel counterpart; this was marketed unsuccessfully to the United States Army as the Uruvel. [3] Urutus were once operated by over thirty national armies and security forces worldwide. [3]
During the early 1960s, Brazil's defense industry was negligible and limited largely to producing small arms or refurbishing obsolete US military equipment. [8] Between 1964 and 1967 the Brazilian government launched a program to revitalize the arms industry in response to growing US reluctance to transfer modern defense technology otherwise needed for its own war effort in Vietnam. [8] This provided the impetus for a number of Brazilian engineering firms to begin developing new weapons for domestic purposes, namely Engenheiros Especializados SA (Engesa). [8] In 1967 design work began on a new wheeled armored car to replace the ageing M8 Greyhound then in service with the reconnaissance units of the Brazilian Army. [9] This would evolve into the EE-9 Cascavel, which was based on an upgraded Greyhound with a new engine and suspension features. [9] Engesa president José Luiz Whitaker Ribeiro created the final design plans for the Cascavel and for a parallel project known as the Carro Transporte de Tropas Anfíbio (CTTA), which was to be an amphibious troop-carrying variant mounted on a similar chassis. [9] The first prototype was completed in 1970. [2] In late 1973, the Brazilian Navy accepted the CTTA for preliminary trials with the Marine Corps. [3] The former later declined to purchase the vehicle type in large numbers and only ordered 6. [6] Brazilian Army officials were more forthcoming and ordered 217. [6] Mass production of the CTTA commenced in 1974. [2] The vehicles were assembled in a new, purpose-built factory Engesa had constructed in São José dos Campos. [10] The first CTTAs entered service with the Brazilian Army the following year as the EE-11 Urutu. [5]
The Urutu benefited greatly from the initial export success of the EE-9 Cascavel, with a number of national armies ordering both vehicle types to simplify logistics. [8] Chile purchased 37 in 1975 to complement its preexisting Cascavel fleet; this was followed by similar orders from Libya and Iraq. [11] By the late 1980s, both Libya and Iraq may have purchased hundreds of Urutus each, [8] some of which were re-exported to other states and regional militant movements. [3]
In 1980, the US Army issued a requirement for a new wheeled armored vehicle for a proposed new mobile deployment force, able to bring to bear air-portable firepower in the event of a crisis in the Middle East or Asia. [7] In response, Engesa proposed an Urutu with a large turret ring and the same 90 mm gun as its Cascavel counterpart; this hybrid vehicle was known as the Uruvel. [3] At least one modified Urutu was delivered to the US for trials. [7] If the US Army adopted the Uruvel, a little over half the vehicle's production would be undertaken in the US by the FMC Corporation. [3] In anticipation of a successful bid, FMC even purchased licenses from Engesa to manufacture both the Urutu and the Cascavel, along with their associated parts. [8] The program was shelved during the late 1980s, and the Uruvel was not adopted by any country except Tunisia, which ordered 12. [11]
Engesa experienced a financial crisis in the early 1990s which forced it to suspend all its production lines. [3] By 1993 the firm had declared bankruptcy, and production of the Urutu was formally terminated. [3]
Financial considerations and the perceived unreliability of the US as an external supplier of military equipment provided the impetus for the Urutu program's success with the Brazilian Army. [12] Engesa had cultivated a close working relationship with army officials, and personal ties between that firm and the latter were instrumental in securing the initial contract for a new armored personnel carrier. [12] The Urutu was also evaluated favorably because the army wanted lightweight, wheeled vehicles capable of operating over vast distances without the logistics considerations then necessitated by heavier or tracked vehicles. [10] In 1972 the Brazilian Army and the Brazilian Marine Corps formally expressed interest in the Urutu, and by late 1973 the first pre-production vehicles were being trialed. [10] The Urutus tested by the Brazilian Marines were fitted with trim vanes, shrouded propellers, twin rudders, and four air intake tubes to negotiate open sea. [10] Only 6 were ordered. [9] The Brazilian Army accounted for the remainder of Engesa's initial order, purchasing over 200 Urutus. [9] The Urutus were adopted by the support infantry troops in armored cavalry platoons and almost always deployed in concert with Cascavel armored cars. [10] This practice was simplified by the vehicles' shared logistics train and interchangeability in automotive parts. [10] The Urutu remained in front-line service with the Brazilian Army for almost forty years, at which point its basic technology had become quite dated in spite of continuous upgrades; since 2014 it has been superseded by the VBTP-MR Guarani. [13]
Engesa was able to export Urutus widely on three continents. [11] The rugged nature of the vehicles, as well as the fact that they were technologically simple and straightforward to maintain made them attractive purchases for a number of armies in South America, the Middle East, and Africa. [12] Furthermore, Engesa was financially dependent on the prospect of successful exports; despite the large orders for Cascavels and Urutus placed by the Brazilian Army, it would be unable to sustain production otherwise. [14] The domestic market was simply insufficient to support an armored vehicle industry, so export orders were perceived as helping achieve the economy of scale needed to make Engesa's operations viable. [15] In 1973, Engesa unsuccessfully bid for a contract to develop a new wheeled infantry fighting vehicle for the South African Army. [16] South Africa was the first foreign power to show an explicit interest in the Urutu and even tested a model optimized for southern African conditions as the Vlakvark. [16] Engesa lost the bid to a German firm which produced a prototype of what would later become the Ratel. [16] Its next attempt to market the Urutu on the international market took place in Chile and was more successful. [14] Due to the political isolation of the Chilean military regime, Engesa found it had little competition in selling armored vehicles to that country's armed forces. [14] Chile obligingly placed an order for 37 Urutus in 1975. [11] The importance with which Engesa regarded this order was highlighted by its prioritization of the Chilean purchase in production, with domestic orders to the Brazilian Army being temporarily sidelined. [14] In 1976, more Cascavels and Urutus were delivered to Chile than were in service with the entire Brazilian armed forces at the time. [14] Chile retired its Urutus in 2002 and sold off its entire fleet to an Israeli defense contractor for re-export. [17]
Engesa's largest success in the export market came in the 1970s from Libya, which ordered 200 Cascavels as part of an arms deal worth $100 million. [15] The Cascavel's combat debut in the 1977 Libyan–Egyptian War aroused international interest in Engesa armored vehicles, especially in the Middle East, and a number of Arab states such as Iraq dispatched military missions to Brazil that year to evaluate them. [15] The Iraqi Army subsequently placed an order for 100 Urutus. [11] Libya ordered more Cascavels and 180 Urutus in 1981. [11] In time, these two nations became the largest single operators of the vehicle type, each holding hundreds of Urutus in service. [8]
Libya deployed its Urutus extensively during the Chadian–Libyan conflict, most often during mechanized operations in support of National Liberation Front of Chad (FROLINAT) rebels. [18] To downplay the extent of overt Libyan involvement, the Urutus were typically stationed near FROLINAT posts and presented to the press as FROLINAT vehicles. [18] Prior to the 2011 Libyan Civil War, the Libyan Army had 100 Urutus remaining in service, although it is unclear how many were in reserve storage or operational. [19] Some were apparently restored to service by Libyan militias during the civil war and retrofitted with BM-11 multiple rocket launchers. [20]
The Urutu was deployed by both sides during the Iran–Iraq War. [21] Most of the Iraqi Urutus were assigned to individual brigades of the Republican Guard during that conflict. [22] It is unclear where Iran obtained its Urutu fleet; while most would appear to have been captured from Iraq, French historian Pierre Razoux asserted that at least some of the Iranian Urutus were acquired directly through Brazil. [23] Another possibility is that the Urutus were transferred to Iran by a third party. [3] No restrictive conditions were placed on the re-sale or transfer of Engesa products purchased by Libya, allowing that country to re-export Cascavels and Urutus as it saw fit. [12] Libya reportedly exported 130 unidentified armored vehicles of Brazilian origin to Iran before 1987. [24]
The basic layout of all Urutu variants is the same: the driving compartment is located to the front left of the hull, with the engine compartment to the front right and the troop compartment to the immediate rear. [2] The driver is provided with a hatch and three driving periscopes in the sharply angled vehicle glacis. [3] Passengers may debark from doors on either side of the hull or from the rear; [2] they are also afforded four emergency hatches in the hull roof. [3] The troop compartment is fitted with vision blocks and firing ports as standard to allow passengers situational awareness while embarked. [3] An Urutu's hull is composed of two distinct layers of welded ballistic steel able to resist point-blank small arms fire, including 7.62×39mm armor-piercing ammunition. [3]
The Urutu was fitted with a 12.7mm Browning M2 heavy machine gun as standard. [2] The machine gun is operated by a gunner seated directly behind the driver in the left of the hull. [3] In all late production models, the gunner's station is also provided with day/night sights with five power magnification and a stadiametric rangefinder. [3] Some of the more common Urutu variants replaced the Browning heavy machine gun with a single turret or pintle-mounted 7.62mm general-purpose machine gun. [2] Depending on the size of the turret ring, it was also possible to fit heavier turrets carrying gun-mortars or low-pressure cannon for direct fire support. [3]
Transmission consists of an Allison MT-643 automatic gearbox with five forward and one reverse gear ratios. [3] Early Brazilian Army Urutus used either a Clark manually operated gearbox with the same gear pattern or a manual Mercedes-Benz 63/40 gearbox. [3] The Urutu has an independent double wishbone suspension for its front wheels, but the rear two axles are fitted with a unique boomerang type walking beam suspension with semi-elliptical springs. [3]
Urutus had a very distinct hull with a sharply angled glacis; the front of the hull slopes back to just forward of the rear wheels at 60°. [2] The hull sides are vertical until halfway to the roof line, at which point they slope slightly inwards. [2] Hull doors are visible to the rear of the first wheel station on either side of the vehicle, although the final production run of Urutus produced by Engesa eliminated the door on the right to create a more spacious engine compartment. [2]
Engesa produced a wide variety of variants which grafted modifications on its basic production models; of these the Uruvel is the most well-known, but the others went largely unnamed and were often designated according to their intended role. [5]
There were also Urutu prototypes modified to carry turrets armed with twin general-purpose machine guns, twin heavy machine guns, a CM60A1 gun-mortar, or a single HS804 20 mm autocannon. [3]
During the early 1990s, Colombia began seeking a domestically produced replacement for its Urutu fleet. The decision to acquire a uniquely Colombian armored personnel carrier was made because it saved hard currency and promoted local industry; with Engesa's closure, Colombian officials were also concerned that parts for the Urutu series would become increasingly scarce and expensive to source in the future. [26] In 1993, Colombia produced a single prototype designated El Zipo, which was essentially a simplified Urutu rebuilt with local parts and a reverse engineered hull. [26] Between 1996 and 2003 three more prototypes were built and designated Aymara. [26] The program was shelved after the Colombian Army rejected the Aymara in favor of the Dragoon 300 to complement the Urutus remaining in service. [26] At least one prototype was retained for training purposes, while another may have been converted into an explosive ordnance disposal vehicle. [26]
The Colombian Urutu derivatives shared the same transmission, electrical system, and engine of the baseline Urutu but utilized a four-wheeled chassis which eliminated the vehicle's articulated boomerang suspension. [26] Their hulls were externally identical to that of the Urutu, retaining the same hatch and door configuration; however, the interior dimensions were different. [26] For example, the engine compartment of the Aymara was located in the center of the hull rather than at the front and to the right like the Urutu. [26] The prototypes were all at least five tonnes heavier than the standard Urutu and lacked amphibious capability. [26]
The M24 Chaffee was an American light tank used during the later part of World War II; it was also used in post–World War II conflicts including the Korean War, and by the French in the War in Algeria and the First Indochina War. In British service it was given the service name Chaffee after the United States Army General Adna R. Chaffee Jr., who helped develop the use of tanks in the United States armed forces. Although the M41 Walker Bulldog was developed as a replacement, M24s were not mostly removed from U.S. and NATO armies until the 1960s and remained in service with some Third World countries.
The M60 is an American second-generation main battle tank (MBT). It was officially standardized as the Tank, Combat, Full Tracked: 105-mm Gun, M60 in March 1959. Although developed from the M48 Patton, the M60 tank series was never officially christened as a Patton tank. It has been called a "product-improved descendant" of the Patton tank's design. The design similarities are evident comparing the original version of the M60 and the M48A2. The United States fully committed to the MBT doctrine in 1963, when the Marine Corps retired the last (M103) heavy tank battalion. The M60 tank series became America's primary main battle tank during the Cold War, reaching a production total of 15,000 M60s. Hull production ended in 1983, but 5,400 older models were converted to the M60A3 variant ending in 1990.
The BTR-60 is the first vehicle in a series of Soviet eight-wheeled armoured personnel carriers (APCs). It was developed in the late 1950s as a replacement for the BTR-152 and was seen in public for the first time in 1961. BTR stands for bronetransportyor.
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 Brazil's aging fleet of M8 Greyhounds. The vehicle was first fitted with the Greyhound's 37mm main gun, and subsequently, 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 as the EC-90.
The M8 light armored car is a 6×6 armored car produced by the Ford Motor Company during World War II. It was used from 1943 by United States and British forces in Europe and the Pacific until the end of the war. The vehicle was widely exported and as of 2006 still remained in service with some countries.
The BTR-70 is an eight-wheeled armored personnel carrier originally developed by the Soviet Union during the late 1960s under the manufacturing code GAZ-4905. On August 21, 1972, it was accepted into Soviet service and would later be widely exported. Large quantities were also produced under license in Romania as the TAB-77.
The AMX-10P is a French amphibious infantry fighting vehicle. It was developed from 1965 onwards to replace the AMX-VCI in the French Army. It served with the French Army from its introduction in 1973 until its retirement in 2015, when it was fully replaced by the VBCI.
Engesa was a Brazilian company in the oil and later automotive and military sectors founded in 1958. In the 70s and 80s it established itself as one of the "big three" in Brazil's arms industry, alongside Avibras and Embraer. It manufactured 6,818 land military vehicles such as the EE-25 truck and the EE-9 Cascavel and EE-11 Urutu armored vehicles, which it sold to Brazil and 18 other countries, and are still used in conflicts today. Its technological peak was the prototypes of the EE-T1 Osório main battle tank. Its founder, José Luiz Whitaker Ribeiro, was called the "civil armaments czar". In the civilian market, it became known with its Engesa 4 jeep. It went into decline at the end of the 80s as a result of mismanagement and a hostile internal and international environment, going bankrupt in 1993.
The Simba is a wheeled armoured personnel carrier designed by GKN Sankey. and is currently in service with the Philippine Army.
The EE-3 Jararaca is a Brazilian scout car developed for route reconnaissance, liaison, and internal security purposes. It was engineered by Engesa in response to a perceived Brazilian Army requirement for a light armored car capable of replacing its unarmored utility vehicles in the liaison and security role. The first Jararaca prototype appeared in 1979 and serial production commenced in 1982 after extensive operational testing in Brazil. It was ultimately rejected for large scale service with the Brazilian Army due to concerns over the limited mobility of its four-wheeled chassis but achieved some minor successes on the export market.
The OT-64 SKOT is an amphibious armored personnel carrier (8x8), developed jointly by Polish People's Republic (PRL) and Czechoslovakia (ČSSR) well into the 1960s.
The Norinco Type 89 tracked armoured fighting vehicle is a Chinese armoured personnel carrier. It was developed from the earlier export market Type 85 AFV vehicle. It entered service in the late 1990s and was first shown publicly in 1999. There are approximately 1,000 in service. It has the industrial index of WZ534 and although it was mainly developed for the PLA, there is also an export version YW534.
The Panhard M3 VTT is an amphibious armoured personnel carrier. Developed as a private venture for the export market, the M3 was built with the same mechanical and chassis components as the Panhard AML range of light armoured cars. The two vehicle types share a 95% interchangeability of automotive parts. The M3 is an extremely versatile design which can be configured for a wide variety of auxiliary battlefield roles. The most popular variants of the base personnel carrier included an armoured ambulance, a mobile command post, and an internal security vehicle. It could also be fitted with a wide variety of turrets and armament, ranging from a single general-purpose machine gun to medium calibre autocannon.
The D-442 FUG and D-944 PSZH are the results of Hungarian domestic development of relatively cheap amphibious armoured scout car and armored personnel carrier series. FUG and PSZH were exported with limited success, thus it is also known under its Czechoslovak designation OT-65.
The VBTP-MR Guarani is a 6×6 armoured personnel carrier developed by Iveco and the Brazilian Army as part of its "Urutu-III" modernization program aimed to replace all EE-11 Urutu by 2015. The 8×8 version of the VBTP-MR is the base of Iveco's Superav armoured personnel carrier. Other Brazilian companies also participated in the program, such as IMBEL (Communications), Elbit (Armaments), Usiminas and Villares.
The Expeditionary Tank was a light tank developed in the 1980s initially by Teledyne Vehicle Systems. Later joined by General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS), the companies entered the US Army's Armored Gun System (AGS) competition with the design. Since the tank never entered service, it did not receive an official designation. Alternative names for the Expeditionary Tank include the Teledyne Light Tank and the Slammer.
The WZ-523 is a six-wheeled Chinese armored personnel carrier designed to be amphibious. Built on the chassis of the Hanyang HY472 truck, it can carry a crew of three and seat up to eight additional passengers. Two primary models were produced—one with a roof-mounted 12.7mm heavy machine gun, and the other with a small turret armed with a 35mm grenade launcher and a 7.62mm co-axial general purpose machine gun. An export model that entered service in 2008 as a fire support vehicle was also marketed successfully to the Namibian Army; this is armed with a 73mm 2A28 Grom smoothbore cannon using the same turret as the Soviet BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle.
The SIBMAS is a Belgian amphibious infantry fighting vehicle. It was engineered from the same prototype as the South African Ratel. The SIBMAS was developed between 1975 and 1976 at a department of the BN Constructions Ferroviaires et Metalliques in Nivelles. Production was on an order-by-order basis and commenced only for the Malaysian Army.
The Type 86, also known as WZ501, is a Chinese copy of the Soviet BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV).
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)