More Centauro tanks arrive in Brazil to renew the Army’s arsenal

Brazil will receive two more Centauro II combat vehicles in May 2024, totaling four deliveries of a total of 98 units that are being acquired by the Army until 2031 at a total price of R$5 billion. The vehicle, produced in Italy by Iveco-Oto Melara (CIO, partnership between the companies Iveco and Leonardo), is considered a reference in anti-tank armor for use in combat. Its acquisition is part of the renewal of the Brazilian arsenal, through a consortium between the force and the CIO. The purchase can still be expanded to 211 armored vehicles.

As found out by the People’s Gazette with the Army, the vehicles arriving in May will be directed to the Santa Maria (RS) regiment, with the aim of training and promoting the development of doctrine for soldiers there. In other words, the military will learn how to use the new combat vehicle. The force’s strategic planning also foresees that the year 2024 will be closed with the delivery of nine Centaurs.

The first two examples of the Centauro arrived in Brazil in 2022. Before being incorporated into the Brazilian arsenal, a team was sent to Italy to test the vehicle. The intention was to identify possible necessary adjustments to be made to the tank to respond to the needs of the Army in Brazil. A few months later the vehicles arrived in the country.

The total delivery cycle should be completed in 2031 and the vehicles will be sent to all regions of the country.

Why is the Centaur a tank hunter?

The Centauro is an 8×8 tank fighter (eight wheels on each side), with high technological development. Equipped with a long-range 120 mm cannon, the vehicle can withstand shots of up to 40 mm. It is not a heavy tank like those used in the wars in Ukraine or Israel (like the Leopard 2 and the Challenger and the Merkava). The Centeur II has less armor, does not travel on tracks, among other aspects. But its 120 mm cannon is as powerful as that of heavy tanks.

With an internal digital tire pressure gauge and more resistant wheel systems, its suspension and low nominal ground pressure allow the Centauro to overcome any type of terrain – and, importantly, it is faster than tanks heavy.

Despite coming from Italy, just like the first two that Brazil has already received, the Centaurs will undergo adjustments by the Army, according to the People’s Gazette. An example of this customization will be the implementation of Mallet radios for command and control of the armored vehicle. The communication equipment is produced by the Brazilian Military Materials Industry (Imbel).

The idea is that in a few years the Centauro could replace the Cascavel armored vehicle, which is a light reconnaissance armored vehicle, which should become obsolete in the coming decades. In addition to the acquisition of new vehicles, the consortium also covers the production of the vehicle platform and the gun turret on Brazilian soil.

Technological transfer to Brazilian industry allows production and logistical support for Centauro on national soil. In this way, the Army hopes that, from 2027, the country will already have the autonomy to assemble the armored vehicle in Brazil.

Brazilian army plans to update its arsenal

The Centauro II is considered one of the best in its category and its arrival in the Army’s arsenal shows a technological leap forward, which modern and powerful combat vehicles lacked. The heaviest armored vehicles, considered tanks, that Brazil has in its arsenal are from the 1960s. They are the German Leopard 1 and the American M60.

The Leopard 1, produced by the consortium of companies Porsche, Rheinmetall and Borgward, arrived in Brazil between 1997 and 2000. It weighs around 42 tons and has a 105mm cannon.

The M60, produced by the North American company Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant, is a tracked vehicle (without wheels) that has a .50 machine gun and 290mm armor. Along with the Leopard, the M60 is considered one of the true “heavy tanks” acquired by the Brazilian Army. Currently these vehicles are considered obsolete and hence the need to replace them with more modern ones.