EE-9 Cascavel

EE-9 Cascavel
Engesa EE-9 of the Brazilian Army at a public exhibit in 2022
Type	Armoured car
Place of origin	Brazil
Service history
In service	1974–present[1]
Used by	See Operators
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	See Variants
Specifications
Mass	12 tonnes (13 short tons; 12 long 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 AC anti-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]

The EE-9 Cascavel (Portuguese pronunciation: [kɐskɐˈvɛl], translated to Rattlesnake) 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.^[8] 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.^[1]

The Cascavel shares many components with the EE-11 Urutu, its armoured 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 the United States via the FMC Corporation.^[9] About 2,767 Cascavels and Urutus were manufactured before Engesa ceased operations in 1993.^[8]