The Italian firm OTO Melara – via its Brazilian operation OTO Melara do Brasil – is teaming with the Brazilian companies ARES Aeroespacial & Defesa (of Elbit Systems of Israel) and state-owned Indústria de Material Bélico (IMBEL) to supply the company’s HITFACT 105 protected modular turret for the Brazilian Army’s future VBR-MR (Viatura Blindada de Reconhecimento-Média de Rodas) 8×8 armoured reconnaissance vehicle. The vehicle to be developed by Brazilian firm Iveco Veículos de Defesa (of CNH Industrial) also will be available in a recovery variant.
The turret proposed to Brazil includes a 105mm/52 low-recoil gun, coaxial 7.62mm machine gun, digital fire control system by Elbit Systems Land & C4I consisting of commander’s panoramic sight and gunner’s stabilized sight, laser warning system, pintle mounted machine gun, smoke grenade dischargers, wire cutter and periscopes as well as provisions for communications and other electronics and other associated equipment. The HITFACT turret can also be armed with 120mm/45 gun barrel.
HITFACT 105 is currently fielded by the armies of Italy (400) and Spain (84) on Iveco-OTO Melara Società Consortile (CIO) VBM Centauro 8×8 armoured vehicles, with 9 HITFACT 120 mounted on VBM Centauro vehicles of the Sultanate of Oman. The gun has been retained to arm the turret mounted on Japanese MCV (Maneuver Combat Vehicle) 8×8 armoured vehicles.
One prototype of the turret and a pilot-batch of 13 turrets will be purchased potentially in 2015 by the army’s Manufacturing Directorate (or Diretoria de Fabricação).
Requirements include the 105 mm high-pressure gun as the main armament, 7.62×51 mm machine guns, 76 mm grenade launchers, electro-optical and fire control systems, and provisions for communication and command-and-control systems. Optionally, the turret could be capable of switching to a 120 mm gun, fire anti-tank missiles, and accommodate additional armour and ARES Aeroespacial & Defesa REMAX (REparo de Metralhadora Automatizada X) remote weapon station armed with 12.7mm or 7.62mm machine gun or 40mm automatic grenade launcher.
CMI Defence has proposed the Cockeril 3105 turret system. Denel Land Systems teaming with Mectron Engenharia, Indústria e Comércio (part of Odebrecht Defesa e Tecnologia), and China North Industries Corporation (NORINCO) also delivered proposals on 9 March 2015.
ARES Aeroespacial & Defesa also proposed other remote systems for armoured vehicles, such as the UT-30BR system armed with 30mm Orbital ATK Mk44 Bushmaster automatic cannon, as well as the TORC 30 (Torre Operada Remotamente e estabilizada para Canhão 30mm) system being developed in cooperation with the Brazilian Army’s Technological Center (CTEx) and armed with Rheinmetall Defence Mk 30-2/ABM automatic cannon.
The VBR-MR programme together with VBTP-MR Guarani 6×6 (Viatura Blindada Transporte de Pessoal-Média de Rodas) amphibious armoured vehicle purchased by the Brazilian Army, and VBMT-LR (Viatura Blindada Multitarefa-Leve de Rodas) 4×4 multi-purpose light tactical protected vehicle is part of the Brazilian Army’s Strategic Project Guarani or Projecto Estratégico do Exército-Guarani (PEE Guarani).
The Brazilian Army has so far inducted several of the VBTP-MR 6×6 armoured vehicles developed by Iveco Veículos de Defesa in cooperation with the Brazilian Army.
Avibras Indústria Aeroespacial/ Renault Trucks Defense with its Tupi vehicle, which is based on the Sherpa Light Scout vehicle, Iveco Veículos de Defesa with the LMV (Light Multirole Vehicle), the team of AM General and Plasan with the MLTV-BR vehicle and BAE Systems Land Systems South Africa (acquired by South Africa’s stateowned defence conglomerate Denel SOC Ltd) with the RG32M LTV are competing to supply the Brazilian Army with an initial batch of 32 4×4 armoured vehicles. Another 154 vehicles will be acquired in two separate tranches of 77 each.
