EE-9 Cascavel

EE-9 Cascavel
EE-9 Cascavel of the Ecuadorian Army
Type	Armoured car
Place of origin	Brazil
Specifications
Weight	10,900 kg empty, 13,400 kg combat
Length	5.2 m hull, 6.2 m overall
Width	2.64 m
Height	2.68 m
Crew	3
Armor	6-12 mm 2 layer steel plating
Main armament	1x90 mm cannon
Secondary armament	1x7.62 mm MG (coaxial)
Engine	Detroit Diesel 6V-53N, 6-cylinder water-cooled diesel 212 hp
Suspension	6x6 Engesa Double Axle Boomerand Drive
Operational range	880 km
Speed	100 km/h

The EE-9 Cascavel is a 6 x 6 armoured car developed in the 1970s by Engesa of Brazil. It used as many commercially available parts as possible. It also shares many components with the EE-11 Urutu APC. The suspension includes Engesa's Boomerang double-axle rear drive.

In its most common configuration, the Cascavel III, it is equipped with an Engesa turret mounting a 90 mm Belgian Cockerill Mk 3 gun produced under licence.

Its name is the Portuguese word for "rattlesnake".

History

EE-9 Cascavel, was developed in Brazil by ENGESA, S. José dos Campos (Sao Paulo), according to specifications of the Brazilian army. EE-9 does not hide the great influence of the M8 Greyhound, which it effectively replaces.

EE-9 was a huge export success and was sold to Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Cyprus, Ecuador, Gabon, Ghana, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Nigeria, Paraguay, Suriname, Togo, Tunisia , Uruguay and Zimbabwe, among other countries not listed. In all of these vehicles were manufactured in 1938.

The Rattlesnake is a reconnaissance vehicle and was made ​​to be "increased" to the customer, could be armed, for example, laser rangefinder, manga suppression of smoke, the electronic control system for shooting, among other refinements for height (80). Is still in service in several countries and currently runs a program to modernize the EE-9, as well as the EE-11, enabling them to remain in service at least until the second decade of this century.

Variants

Cascavel I 'Magro' on display at Museu Militar Conde de Linhares in Rio de Janeiro

• Cascavel I: Known as 'Cascavel Magro' (Thin Rattlesnake). Initial vehicles with the 37 mm gun from the old M3 light tanks.
• Cascavel II: Known as 'Cascavel Gordo' (Fat Rattlesnake). Widened to receive 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.

Brazilian Army Cascavel IV

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 land free and proved capable of reaching 80 km/h in an off-road situation.

Combat history

• Colombian Civil War (Colombia)
• Chadian–Libyan conflict (Libya)
• Iran–Iraq War (Iraq)
• Invasion of Kuwait (Iraq)
• Gulf War (Iraq)
• 2011 Libyan civil war (Pro-Gaddafi forces) (Rebel forces-Captured from Gaddafi forces)

Operators

A battle-damaged Iraqi EE-9 Cascavel armored car remains buried in the sand north of Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Storm.

• Brazil:Principal user/builder, 600 units.

EE-9 Cascavel armored Bolivia.

• Bolivia: 24
• Burkina Faso: 2
• Colombia: 174
• Cyprus: 124
• Ecuador: 50
• Guyana: 6
• Iran: 189 (Most of them captured during Iran–Iraq War)
• Iraq: 35 (Most of them lost during Iran–Iraq War)
• Libya: 380 (of them lost during the 2011 Libyan civil war)
• Paraguay: 28
• Qatar: 30
• Suriname: 45
• Uruguay: 15
• Zimbabwe: 90

External links

• Globalsecurity.org
• Armyrecognition.com (French translated to English)