As has been reported in recent weeks by Zona Militar, the VCBR Program of the Argentine Army continues to add chapters to determine what will be the future 8×8 Wheeled Armored Combat Vehicles for the yet-to-be-established Medium Wheeled Brigade. One of the offerings that is gaining increasing interest by the authorities at the Edificio Libertador is the proposal of vehicles from the 8×8 Stryker group from the United States. The US government has been improving their proposal to align with Argentina´s military requirements in light of the new realignment of the national government.
As previously mentioned, while the renewed offering from the United States was based on the authorization for 27 units of the M1126 variant from 2020, it has now expanded to a family of vehicles in line with the original requirement of the VCBR Program of the Argentine Army. This would include the Infantry Fighting Vehicle, Recovery Vehicle, Ambulance, and Tank Destroyer.
If we analyze the original requirement of the Army, the VCBR Program contemplates the purchase of up to 209 armored vehicles in various configurations and functions. In more detail: 120 Personnel Transport Vehicles armed with an M2 12.7mm machine gun, 27 Infantry Combat Vehicles armed with a 30mm cannon, 14 Tank Destroyer Vehicles, 12 Mortar Carrier Vehicles, 9 Command Post Vehicles, 9 Ambulance Vehicles, 8 Recovery Vehicles, 6 Bridge-Laying Vehicles, and 4 Breaching Vehicles; all intended for the previously mentioned Medium Wheeled Brigade encompassed within the Rapid Deployment Forces.
Therefore, drawing from past experiences, the authorities of the Army and the Ministry of Defense are considering the incorporation of a first batch of wheeled second-hand armored vehicles from the United States, as well as from other countries that have recently presented their proposals. In more detail, Canada has offered armored vehicles from the LAV III family. This low-profile offer came from General Dynamics Land Systems through the Canadian Commercial Corporation.
However, as recently expressed by Zona Militar about these armored vehicles, “…despite using the same LAV III platform, the VCBR models from Canada, New Zealand, and the USA differ in several aspects, coupled with the fact that only the Stryker has developed and perfected a complete family. The mentioned differences are not insignificant when considering a homogeneous fleet, both in terms of configuration and remaining service life, among other aspects”.
The previously mentioned topics gain significance in light of the refinement of the proposal from the United States, which could include another batch of 8×8 Stryker VCBR, aiming to deepen and improve the process of incorporating a new family of armored vehicles into the ranks of the Argentine Army. Subsequently, if Argentina’s economic and financial context allows it, the plan involves options for local assembly and production of components involving companies in the automotive sector. The ultimate goal is to have a combat-proven model, with wide availability, fulfilling the original requirement of being 8×8 wheeled, while also having a wide range of specialized versions to fulfill various roles on the battlefield. However, the sources consulted have been cautious regarding the numbers encompassed within the revised proposal, being mindful that a plan of this scale could entail changes, either minor or major, in the final figures of units to be incorporated.
*Photographs used for illustrative purposes.
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