Armor: LMV Rides Into Brazil

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September 15, 2016: Brazil has been looking for something similar to the American armored hummer (and similar vehicles) for its army. After holding a competition earlier this year the Italian LMV (Light Multipurpose Vehicles) M65 "Lynx" was selected. Brazil eventually wants 1,674 LMVs but the initial order is for 186 so the vehicle can be tried out by troops in the many different climates and terrain types found in Brazil. Ultimately 23 percent of the LMVs will be armed with an Israeli RWS (remote weapons station) while the rest will have an armored manned turret equipped with a machine-gun.

The seven ton, 4x4 M65 is another design influenced by the success of American armored hummers and MRAPs (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles in Iraq and Afghanistan. Like the hummer, the LMV normally carries five people. The LMV can carry a RWS on the roof and there are variants with the rear of the vehicle used for cargo or equipment. The LMV is similar in size to the hummer (5.1 meters/15.8 feet long and 2.35 meters/7.3 feet wide) but is actually a few percent larger and weighs about a third more. Like the hummers built with armor (rather than having it added), the LMV provides excellent protection from bullets and roadside bombs. The V-shaped hull of the LMV improves protection from explosions beneath the vehicle. The LMV costs nearly half a million dollars each, when tricked out with all the accessories.

The Italian manufacturer, Iveco, has already sold the LMV to Spain, Italy, Belgium, Britain, and Norway. The Italian army ordered 1,210 LMVs and some were used in Afghanistan, where they performed well. Russia was going to buy at least 60 LMVs but the 2014 economic sanction placed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine halted that, for the moment. The Russians originally wanted to build 2,000 LMVs locally under license but the collapse of oil prices after 2013 put that on hold before the sanctions even became a factor.

 

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