The Brazilian Army has selected the Centauro II produced by a Leonardo and Iveco consortium to fulfill its requirement for armored vehicles. The contract is reportedly worth up to EUR2 billion ($2.08 billion).
Officially designated the Wheeled Armored Medium Cavalry Vehicle (Viatura Blindada de Cavalaria Média Sobre Rodas, or VBC Cav – MSR 8×8), the Brazilian variant will be outfitted with a 120mm armament rather than the originally reported 105mm configuration. Although order quantities have not yet been officially announced, Brazil has previously outlined plans to acquire 98 vehicles by 2038 and 220 in total.
According to Forecast International’s International Military Markets – Latin America & Caribbean, the team – doing business as Società Consortile Iveco – Oto Melara (CIO) – beat competing designs from General Dynamics Land Systems, offering the LAV 700 with a Cockerill turret; Hanwha with its Tigon; NORINCO, offering the ST-1; Ares-Elbit Systems, offering its Eitan; and Tata Motors with the Kestrel.
A military history enthusiast, Richard began at Forecast International as editor of the World Weapons Weekly newsletter. As the Internet grew in importance as a research tool, he helped design the company's Forecast Intelligence Center and currently coordinates the EMarket Alert newsletters for clients. Richard also manages social media efforts, including two new blogs: Defense & Security Monitor, covering defense systems and international issues, and Flight Plan, which focuses on commercial aviation and space systems. For over 30 years, Richard has authored the Defense & Aerospace Companies, Volume I (North America) and Volume II (International) services. The two books provide detailed data on major aerospace and defense contractors. He also edits the International Contractors service, a database that tracks all the contractors involved in the programs covered in the FI library. More recently he was appointed Manager, Information Services Group (ISG), a new unit that encompasses developing outbound content for both Forecast International and Military Periscope.
