The EE-9 Cascavel is a six-wheeled Brazilian armoured car developed primarily for reconnaissance. It was engineered by Engesa in 1970 as a replacement for Brazil's aging fleet of M8 Greyhounds. The vehicle was first fitted with the Greyhound's 37mm main gun, and subsequently, a French turret adopted from the Panhard AML-90. Later models carry unique Engesa turrets with a Belgian 90mm Cockerill Mk.3 cannon produced under licence as the EC-90.
Engesa EE-9 of the Brazilian Army at a public exhibit in 2022
A battle-damaged Iraqi EE-9 Cascavel somewhere along the frontier with Saudi Arabia, during Operation Desert Storm.
A Cascavel Mk I at a museum in Rio de Janeiro.
EE-9 Cascavels of the Iraqi Army in 2008.
A military armored car is a wheeled armored fighting vehicle, historically employed for reconnaissance, internal security, armed escort, and other subordinate battlefield tasks. With the gradual decline of mounted cavalry, armored cars were developed for carrying out duties formerly assigned to light cavalry. Following the invention of the tank, the armored car remained popular due to its faster speed, comparatively simple maintenance and low production cost. It also found favor with several colonial armies as a cheaper weapon for use in underdeveloped regions. During World War II, most armored cars were engineered for reconnaissance and passive observation, while others were devoted to communications tasks. Some equipped with heavier armament could even substitute for tracked combat vehicles in favorable conditions—such as pursuit or flanking maneuvers during the North African campaign.
U.S. T17E1 Staghound armored car of World War II
AMX-10RC, a modern armored car of the French Army
F.R. Simms' Motor Scout, built in 1898 as an armed car
F.R. Simms' 1902 Motor War Car, the first armored car to be built