Place of origin Brazil Length 6.15 meters | Manufacturer Engesa Width 2.65 meters | |
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Type Armored personnel carrier Weight 11,000 kg empty, 14,000 kg combat | ||
The EE-11 Urutu is a combat proven 6x6 armored personnel carrier developed by Engesa of Brazil. It shares many components with the EE-9 Cascavel armoured fighting vehicle. The suspension includes Engesa's Boomerang double-axle rear drive. The Brazilian Marine Corps uses a modified amphibious variant with propellers and a more powerful engine.
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EE-11 Urutu has seen combat in Iraq and Libya.
It was used by the Brazilian Army in the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti.
Urutu production stopped in 1987; since then, all units still in use by the Brazilian Army have been modernized and upgraded by the Army's São Paulo War Arsenal branch as a stopgap until the arrival of the newly designed VBTP-MR in 2012.
Upgrade
The new engine used in the upgrade of Urutu generates 230 hp, an improvement over the 158 hp of the old version.
The EE-11 is used to transport troops, on land as well over bodies of water, due to its amphibious capability. These qualities justified their acquisitions and were largely accepted by the armed forces of several Latin American countries.
Because of these proven qualities, the Brazilian Army has chosen to take 226 Urutus and more than 600 Cascavels out of storage. With the older engines being quite outdated, some with manual gearbox while others are with automatic transmission, a gap in the technology exists and so has led to a major overhaul being made. The upgraded military vehicles will operate for at least another 15 years.