| EE-11 Urutu | |
|---|---|
.jpg) 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]
- ^ a b "Engesa President on Arms Sales Ethics, Middle East Clients". Latin America Report. Federal Broadcast Information Service, Joint Publications Research Service: 37–45. 21 March 1986. ISBN 9780879677077.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Christopher F. Foss (2000-05-16). Jane's Tanks and Combat Vehicles Recognition Guide (2000 ed.). Harper Collins Publishers. pp. 346–347. ISBN 978-0-00-472452-2.
- ^ a b c d e f "EE-11 Urutu". Newtown, Connecticut, United States: Forecast International, Incorporated. 1998. Archived from the original on 14 January 2018. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Christopher F. Foss (2001). Jane's Armour and Artillery (2002 ed.). Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd. p. 428. ISBN 978-0-7106-2309-6.
- ^ a b c d Chant, Christopher (1987). A Compendium of Armaments and Military Hardware. New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul. pp. 76–77. ISBN 978-0-7102-0720-3. OCLC 14965544.
- ^ Bastos, Expedito Carlos Stephani (June 2006). "Uma realidade brasileira – As exportações dos veículos militares Engesa". Revista DaCultura. 6 (10): 36–41.
- ^ Nyrop, Richard, ed. (1983). Brazil, a Country Study. Area Handbook Series (Fourth ed.). Washington, D.C.: Department of the Army, American University. p. 204. ASIN B008GXUTJ0.