View source for EE-11 Urutu

{{for|the snake species referred by Brazilians as Urutu|Bothrops alternatus}}
{{Infobox weapon
| name               = EE-11 Urutu
 |image= [[File:EE-11 Urutu (7810225614).jpg|300px]]
 |caption= EE-11 Urutu of the [[Brazilian Army]] in 2012
| origin             = [[Brazil]]
| type               = Amphibious wheeled [[Armored personnel carrier]]
| is_vehicle         = yes
| service            = 
| used_by            = See ''[[#Operators|Operators]]''
| wars               = [[Chadian–Libyan conflict]]<br />[[Iran–Iraq War]]<br />[[Gulf War]]<br />[[Colombian conflict]]<br />[[Libyan Civil War (2011)]]<br />[[Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017)]]<br />[[2024 Ecuadorian conflict]]
 <!-- Production history -->| designer           = José Luiz Whitaker Ribeiro<ref name="Sketch">{{cite journal|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yUt7aGu6aE8C|date=21 March 1986|title=Engesa President on Arms Sales Ethics, Middle East Clients|journal=Latin America Report|publisher=Federal Broadcast Information Service, Joint Publications Research Service|pages=37–45|isbn = 9780879677077}}</ref>
| manufacturer       = [[Engesa]]<ref name="Recognition">{{cite book|last=Christopher F. Foss|title=Jane's Tanks and Combat Vehicles Recognition Guide|edition=2000|pages=[https://archive.org/details/janestankcombatv00foss/page/346 346–347]|publisher=Harper Collins Publishers|isbn=978-0-00-472452-2|date=2000-05-16|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/janestankcombatv00foss/page/346}}</ref>
| design_date        = 1970<ref name="Recognition" />
| unit_cost          = [[United States dollar|USD]] $149,100 <small>(new)</small><ref name="Forecast">{{cite web|title=EE-11 Urutu|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|url=https://www.forecastinternational.com/archive/disp_old_pdf.cfm?ARC_ID=1127|location=Newtown, Connecticut, United States|publisher=Forecast International, Incorporated|date=1998|access-date=29 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180114180416/https://www.forecastinternational.com/archive/disp_old_pdf.cfm?ARC_ID=1127|archive-date=14 January 2018}}</ref>
| production_date    = 1974–1990<ref name="Recognition" />
| number             = 1,719<ref name="Forecast" />
| variants           = See ''[[#Variants|Variants]]''
 <!-- General specifications -->| weight             = {{convert|14|t|ST LT|lk=out}}<ref name="JaneAA">{{cite book |last=Christopher F. Foss|title=Jane's Armour and Artillery|year=2001|edition=2002|page=428 |publisher=Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd|isbn=978-0-7106-2309-6}}</ref>
| length             = {{convert|6.1|m|ftin|abbr=on}}<ref name="JaneAA" />
| width              = {{convert|2.85|m|ftin|abbr=on}}<ref name="JaneAA" />
| height             = {{convert|2.12|m|ftin|abbr=on}} <small>(hull)</small><ref name="JaneAA" />
| crew               = 2 (driver, gunner) + 11 passengers<ref name="Recognition" />
 <!-- Vehicle/missile specifications -->| armour             = 
| primary_armament   = 12.7mm [[M2 Browning]] machine gun (1,000 stowed rounds)<ref name="Recognition" />
| secondary_armament = 
| engine             = [[Detroit Diesel]] 6V-53T 6-cylinder water-cooled diesel<ref name="Recognition" />
| engine_power       = 212 hp (158&nbsp;kW)<ref name="Compendium">{{cite book |last=Chant |first=Christopher |title=A Compendium of Armaments and Military Hardware |location=New York |publisher=Routledge & Kegan Paul |year=1987 |isbn=978-0-7102-0720-3 |oclc=14965544 |pages=76–77}}</ref>
| transmission       = Allison MT-643 Automatic; 4 forward and 1 reverse gears<ref name="JaneAA" />
| fuel_capacity      = 380 litres<ref name="Compendium" />
| pw_ratio           = 18.6hp&nbsp;/tonne (13.8&nbsp;kW/tonne)<ref name="JaneAA" />
| suspension         = [[Independent suspension]] with double-action telescopic shock dampers <small>(front)</small><ref name="JaneAA" /><br />
Double axle boomerang with walking beams <small>(rear)</small><ref name="JaneAA" />
| clearance          = {{convert|0.38|m|ftin|abbr=on}}<ref name="Recognition" />
| vehicle_range      = 850&nbsp;km<ref name="Recognition" />
| speed              = 90&nbsp;km/h (55 mph),<ref name="Compendium" /> 8 km/h (water)
}}
The '''EE-11 Urutu''' is a Brazilian amphibious [[armored personnel carrier]]. It was based on the drive train and chassis components of the [[EE-9 Cascavel]] armored car and initially emerged as part of a project to develop an amphibious troop-carrying counterpart to that vehicle for the [[Brazilian Army]] and [[Brazilian Marine Corps|Marine Corps]] (CFN).<ref name="Forecast" /> The first pre-production models entered service with the CFN in 1973<ref name="Forecast" /> and serial production commenced the following year.<ref name="Recognition" /> While the CFN declined to adopt the EE-11 Urutu in large numbers, the Brazilian Army was more forthcoming and purchased 223;<ref name="Engesa">{{cite journal|last=Bastos|first=Expedito Carlos Stephani|date=June 2006|title=Uma realidade brasileira – As exportações dos veículos militares Engesa|journal=Revista DaCultura|volume=6|issue=10 |pages=36–41}}</ref> these entered service in 1975.<ref name="Recognition" />

The Urutu was the first fully amphibious armored vehicle developed in Brazil: it can propel itself through water at speeds of 8&nbsp;km/h via twin propellers.<ref name="Compendium" /> Urutus proved to be extremely popular in the [[Middle East]], particularly with [[Libya]] and [[Iraq]], both of which purchased large numbers to complement their fleets of Cascavel armored cars.<ref name="Sketch" /> Iraq deployed its Urutus during the [[Iran–Iraq War]], which became, in effect, a proving ground for the vehicle type.<ref name="Handbook">{{Cite book|title=Brazil, a Country Study |edition=Fourth |editor-last=Nyrop |editor-first=Richard |year=1983 |publisher=Department of the Army, [[American University]] |location=Washington, D.C. |series=Area Handbook Series |asin=B008GXUTJ0 |page=204}}</ref> A number of specialized variants were later developed for [[internal security]] purposes, vehicle recovery, air defense, cargo transport, and medical evacuation.<ref name="Recognition" /> One hybrid variant was modified to accept the same 90&nbsp;mm turret-mounted cannon as its Cascavel counterpart; this was marketed unsuccessfully to the [[United States Army]] as the ''Uruvel''.<ref name="Forecast" /> Urutus were once operated by over thirty national armies and security forces worldwide.<ref name="Forecast" />

==Development history==
During the early 1960s, Brazil's defense industry was negligible and limited largely to producing small arms or refurbishing obsolete US military equipment.<ref name="Neto">{{cite journal|last=Neto |first=Raul de Gouvea |url=http://www.plataformademocratica.org/Publicacoes/19847.pdf |date=1991 |title=How Brazil Competes In The Global Defense Industry |journal=Latin American Research Review |volume=26 |issue=3 |pages=83–108 |doi=10.1017/S0023879100023943 |s2cid=252930890 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141208160523/http://www.plataformademocratica.org/Publicacoes/19847.pdf |archive-date=December 8, 2014 }}</ref> Between 1964 and 1967 the Brazilian government launched a program to revitalize the arms industry in response to growing US reluctance to transfer modern defense technology otherwise needed for its [[Vietnam War|own war effort in Vietnam]].<ref name="Neto" /> This provided the impetus for a number of Brazilian engineering firms to begin developing new weapons for domestic purposes, namely [[Engesa|Engenheiros Especializados SA]] (Engesa).<ref name="Neto" /> In 1967 design work began on a new wheeled armored car to replace the ageing [[M8 Greyhound]] then in service with the reconnaissance units of the Brazilian Army.<ref name="Bastos">{{cite journal|last=Bastos|first=Expedito Carlos Stephani|date=December 2004|title= Uma realidade brasileira – Desenvolvimento de blindados sobre roadas 1967–1975|journal=Revista DaCultura|volume=4|issue= 7|pages=36–45}}</ref> This would evolve into the [[EE-9 Cascavel]], which was based on an upgraded Greyhound with a new engine and suspension features.<ref name="Bastos" /> Engesa president José Luiz Whitaker Ribeiro created the final design plans for the Cascavel and for a parallel project known as the ''Carro Transporte de Tropas Anfíbio'' (CTTA), which was to be an amphibious troop-carrying variant mounted on a similar chassis.<ref name="Bastos" /> The first prototype was completed in 1970.<ref name="Recognition" /> In late 1973, the Brazilian Navy accepted the CTTA for preliminary trials with the Marine Corps.<ref name="Forecast" /> The former later declined to purchase the vehicle type in large numbers and only ordered 6.<ref name="Engesa" /> Brazilian Army officials were more forthcoming and ordered 217.<ref name="Engesa" /> Mass production of the CTTA commenced in 1974.<ref name="Recognition" /> The vehicles were assembled in a new, purpose-built factory Engesa had constructed in [[São José dos Campos]].<ref name="Benning">{{cite journal|last=Jacobson|first=Michael|title=Armor in Desert Shield|journal=Infantry Magazine|pages=25–27|publisher=US Army Infantry School|location=Fort Benning, Georgia|date=May–June 1977}}</ref> The first CTTAs entered service with the Brazilian Army the following year as the ''EE-11 Urutu''.<ref name="Compendium" />

The Urutu benefited greatly from the initial export success of the EE-9 Cascavel, with a number of national armies ordering both vehicle types to simplify logistics.<ref name="Neto" /> [[Chile]] purchased 37 in 1975 to complement its preexisting Cascavel fleet; this was followed by similar orders from Libya and Iraq.<ref name="trade">{{cite web |url=http://armstrade.sipri.org/armstrade/page/trade_register.php |title=Trade Registers |publisher=Armstrade.sipri.org |access-date=2013-06-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100414022558/http://armstrade.sipri.org/armstrade/page/trade_register.php |archive-date=2010-04-14 |url-status=live }}</ref> By the late 1980s, both Libya and Iraq may have purchased hundreds of Urutus each,<ref name="Neto" /> some of which were re-exported to other states and regional militant movements.<ref name="Forecast" />

In 1980, the US Army issued a requirement for a new wheeled armored vehicle for a proposed new mobile deployment force, able to bring to bear air-portable firepower in the event of a crisis in the Middle East or Asia.<ref name="Handbook" /> In response, Engesa proposed an Urutu with a large turret ring and the same 90&nbsp;mm gun as its Cascavel counterpart; this hybrid vehicle was known as the ''Uruvel''.<ref name="Forecast" /> At least one modified Urutu was delivered to the US for trials.<ref name="Handbook" /> If the US Army adopted the Uruvel, a little over half the vehicle's production would be undertaken in the US by the [[FMC Corporation]].<ref name="Forecast" /> In anticipation of a successful bid, FMC even purchased licenses from Engesa to manufacture both the Urutu and the Cascavel, along with their associated parts.<ref name="Neto" /> The program was shelved during the late 1980s, and the Uruvel was not adopted by any country except [[Tunisia]], which ordered 12.<ref name="trade" />

Engesa experienced a financial crisis in the early 1990s which forced it to suspend all its production lines.<ref name="Forecast" /> By 1993 the firm had declared bankruptcy, and production of the Urutu was formally terminated.<ref name="Forecast" />

==Service history==
[[File:EE-11 Urutu — 15RcMecEs.jpg|thumb|left|270px|Brazilian infantry squad riding mounted in an EE-11 Urutu, 2012.]]
Financial considerations and the perceived unreliability of the US as an external supplier of military equipment provided the impetus for the Urutu program's success with the Brazilian Army.<ref name="Arsenal">{{cite book|title=Building an Arsenal: The Evolution of Regional Power Force Structures|last=Gupta|first=Amit|location=Westport|publisher=Praeger |year=1997|isbn=978-0-275-95787-2|pages=143–145}}</ref> Engesa had cultivated a close working relationship with army officials, and personal ties between that firm and the latter were instrumental in securing the initial contract for a new armored personnel carrier.<ref name="Arsenal" /> The Urutu was also evaluated favorably because the army wanted lightweight, wheeled vehicles capable of operating over vast distances without the logistics considerations then necessitated by heavier or tracked vehicles.<ref name="Benning" /> In 1972 the Brazilian Army and the Brazilian Marine Corps formally expressed interest in the Urutu, and by late 1973 the first pre-production vehicles were being trialed.<ref name="Benning" /> The Urutus tested by the Brazilian Marines were fitted with trim vanes, shrouded propellers, twin rudders, and four air intake tubes to negotiate open sea.<ref name="Benning" /> Only 6 were ordered.<ref name="Bastos" /> The Brazilian Army accounted for the remainder of Engesa's initial order, purchasing over 200 Urutus.<ref name="Bastos" /> The Urutus were adopted by the support infantry troops in armored cavalry platoons and almost always deployed in concert with Cascavel armored cars.<ref name="Benning" /> This practice was simplified by the vehicles' shared logistics train and interchangeability in automotive parts.<ref name="Benning" /> The Urutu remained in front-line service with the Brazilian Army for almost forty years, at which point its basic technology had become quite dated in spite of continuous upgrades; since 2014 it has been superseded by the [[VBTP-MR Guarani]].<ref name="army rec">{{cite web|url=http://www.armyrecognition.com/december_2012_new_army_military_defence_industry/iveco_delivered_the_first_batch_of_vbtp-mr_guarani_armoured_vehicle_to_brazilian_army_1612121.html|title=IVECO delivered the first batch of VBTP-MR Guarani armoured vehicles to Brazilian army.|date=2012-12-16|access-date=2013-09-25|publisher=Army Recognition|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929035258/http://www.armyrecognition.com/december_2012_new_army_military_defence_industry/iveco_delivered_the_first_batch_of_vbtp-mr_guarani_armoured_vehicle_to_brazilian_army_1612121.html|archive-date=2013-09-29|url-status=live}}</ref>

Engesa was able to export Urutus widely on three continents.<ref name="trade" /> The rugged nature of the vehicles, as well as the fact that they were technologically simple and straightforward to maintain made them attractive purchases for a number of armies in South America, the Middle East, and Africa.<ref name="Arsenal" /> Furthermore, Engesa was financially dependent on the prospect of successful exports; despite the large orders for Cascavels and Urutus placed by the Brazilian Army, it would be unable to sustain production otherwise.<ref name=Schwam-Baird>{{cite book|last=Schwam-Baird|first=David|title=Ideas and Armaments: Military Ideologies in the Making of Brazil's Arms Industries|date=1997|page=117|publisher=University Press of America, Ltd|location=Lanham, Maryland|isbn=978-0-7618-0613-4}}</ref> The domestic market was simply insufficient to support an armored vehicle industry, so export orders were perceived as helping achieve the economy of scale needed to make Engesa's operations viable.<ref name="Washington">{{cite news|title=Brazil Sells Armored Cars to Libya, Warplanes to Chile |last=Rohler|first=Larry|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1977/12/19/brazil-sells-armored-cars-to-libya-warplanes-to-chile/a59dc898-efdc-447f-89e0-34b9a0cc2e4c/|newspaper=The Washington Post |location=Washington, D.C. |date=23 October 1987|access-date= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180115193313/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1977/12/19/brazil-sells-armored-cars-to-libya-warplanes-to-chile/a59dc898-efdc-447f-89e0-34b9a0cc2e4c/ |archive-date=January 15, 2018}}</ref> In 1973, Engesa unsuccessfully bid for a contract to develop a new wheeled infantry fighting vehicle for the [[South African Army]].<ref name=Mobility>{{cite book |last1=Steenkamp |first1=Willem |last2=Helmoed-Römer |first2=Heitman |title=Mobility Conquers: The Story Of 61 Mechanised Battalion Group 1978–2005 |date=September 2016 |pages=30–33 |publisher=Helion & Company |location=Solihull |isbn=978-1-911096-52-8}}</ref> South Africa was the first foreign power to show an explicit interest in the Urutu and even tested a model optimized for southern African conditions as the ''Vlakvark''.<ref name=Mobility /> Engesa lost the bid to a German firm which produced a prototype of what would later become the [[Ratel IFV|Ratel]].<ref name=Mobility /> Its next attempt to market the Urutu on the international market took place in Chile and was more successful.<ref name=Schwam-Baird /> Due to the political isolation of the Chilean military regime, Engesa found it had little competition in selling armored vehicles to that country's armed forces.<ref name=Schwam-Baird /> Chile obligingly placed an order for 37 Urutus in 1975.<ref name="trade" /> The importance with which Engesa regarded this order was highlighted by its prioritization of the Chilean purchase in production, with domestic orders to the Brazilian Army being temporarily sidelined.<ref name=Schwam-Baird /> In 1976, more Cascavels and Urutus were delivered to Chile than were in service with the entire Brazilian armed forces at the time.<ref name=Schwam-Baird /> Chile retired its Urutus in 2002 and sold off its entire fleet to an Israeli defense contractor for re-export.<ref name="Saymar">{{cite web|title=EE-9 Cascavel e EE-11 Urutu – Repotenciados um Israel|last=Bastos|first=Carlos Stephani|url=http://www.ecsbdefesa.com.br/fts/EE9EE11ISRAEL.pdf|location=Juiz de Fora|publisher=[[Federal University of Juiz de Fora]]|date=2016|access-date=15 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180115190108/http://www.ecsbdefesa.com.br/fts/EE9EE11ISRAEL.pdf|archive-date=15 January 2018}}</ref>

Engesa's largest success in the export market came in the 1970s from Libya, which ordered 200 Cascavels as part of an arms deal worth $100 million.<ref name="Washington" /> The Cascavel's combat debut in the 1977 [[Libyan–Egyptian War]] aroused international interest in Engesa armored vehicles, especially in the Middle East, and a number of Arab states such as Iraq dispatched military missions to Brazil that year to evaluate them.<ref name="Washington" /> The Iraqi Army subsequently placed an order for 100 Urutus.<ref name="trade" /> Libya ordered more Cascavels and 180 Urutus in 1981.<ref name="trade" /> In time, these two nations became the largest single operators of the vehicle type, each holding hundreds of Urutus in service.<ref name="Neto" />

Libya deployed its Urutus extensively during the [[Chadian–Libyan conflict]], most often during mechanized operations in support of [[FROLINAT|National Liberation Front of Chad]] (FROLINAT) rebels.<ref name="Chad">{{cite journal|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WP4DAQAAIAAJ|date=1986|title= Cover Story: Chad|journal=Africa Events|publisher=Dar es Salaam Limited|pages=14–17}}</ref> To downplay the extent of overt Libyan involvement, the Urutus were typically stationed near FROLINAT posts and presented to the press as FROLINAT vehicles.<ref name="Chad" /> Prior to the [[2011 Libyan Civil War]], the Libyan Army had 100 Urutus remaining in service, although it is unclear how many were in reserve storage or operational.<ref name="Libya2011">{{cite web|title=The Libyan Uprising: An Uncertain Trajectory|last=Cordesman|first=Anthony, Vira, Varun, and Arleigh|url=http://csis.org/files/publication/110620_libya.pdf|location=Washington|publisher=Center for Strategic and International Studies|date=20 June 2011|access-date=20 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305071433/http://csis.org/files/publication/110620_libya.pdf|archive-date=5 March 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Some were apparently restored to service by Libyan militias during the civil war and retrofitted with [[BM-21|BM-11]] multiple rocket launchers.<ref name="Nork">{{cite news|title=North Korea and Libya: friendship through artillery|last1=Oliemans|first1=Joost|last2=Mitzer|first2=Stijn|url=https://www.nknews.org/2015/01/north-korea-and-libya-friendship-through-artillery/|work=[[NK News]]|location=Seoul|date=5 January 2015|access-date=15 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171220090610/https://www.nknews.org/2015/01/north-korea-and-libya-friendship-through-artillery/ |archive-date=December 20, 2017}}</ref>

The Urutu was deployed by both sides during the [[Iran–Iraq War]].<ref name="Third">{{cite journal|last=Elliott|first=Jeffrey|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yUt7aGu6aE8C&q=Urutu|date=1987|title= Brazil|journal=Third World|publisher=Dushkin Publishing|page=228|isbn=9780879677077}}</ref> Most of the Iraqi Urutus were assigned to individual brigades of the [[Republican Guard (Iraq)|Republican Guard]] during that conflict.<ref name="CIA1">{{cite web|title=Iraq: Major Weapons Deliveries and Their Impact on Force Capabilities|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP91T01115R000400300001-8.pdf|location=Langley
|publisher=[[Central Intelligence Agency]]|date=February 1987|access-date=20 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171211044604/https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP91T01115R000400300001-8.pdf/|archive-date=11 December 2017}}</ref> It is unclear where Iran obtained its Urutu fleet; while most would appear to have been captured from Iraq, French historian Pierre Razoux asserted that at least some of the Iranian Urutus were acquired directly through Brazil.<ref name=Razoux>{{cite book|last=Razoux|first=Pierre|title=The Iran-Iraq War|date=2015|page=294|publisher=Belknap Press|location=Cambridge, Massachusetts|isbn=978-0-674-08863-4}}</ref> Another possibility is that the Urutus were transferred to Iran by a third party.<ref name="Forecast" /> No restrictive conditions were placed on the re-sale or transfer of Engesa products purchased by Libya, allowing that country to re-export Cascavels and Urutus as it saw fit.<ref name="Arsenal" /> Libya reportedly exported 130 unidentified armored vehicles of Brazilian origin to Iran before 1987.<ref name="Sahara">{{cite book |last=Michael Brzoska|title=Arms and Warfare: Escalation, De-escalation, and Negotiation |date=July 2006 |edition=1994|page=151 |publisher=University of South Carolina Press|isbn=978-1-4223-5296-0}}</ref>

==Description==
The basic layout of all Urutu variants is the same: the driving compartment is located to the front left of the hull, with the engine compartment to the front right and the troop compartment to the immediate rear.<ref name="Recognition" /> The driver is provided with a hatch and three driving periscopes in the sharply angled vehicle glacis.<ref name="Forecast" /> Passengers may debark from doors on either side of the hull or from the rear;<ref name="Recognition" /> they are also afforded four emergency hatches in the hull roof.<ref name="Forecast" /> The troop compartment is fitted with vision blocks and firing ports as standard to allow passengers situational awareness while embarked.<ref name="Forecast" /> An Urutu's hull is composed of two distinct layers of welded ballistic steel able to resist point-blank small arms fire, including [[7.62×39mm]] armor-piercing ammunition.<ref name="Forecast" />

The Urutu was fitted with a 12.7mm [[Browning M2]] heavy machine gun as standard.<ref name="Recognition" /> The machine gun is operated by a gunner seated directly behind the driver in the left of the hull.<ref name="Forecast" /> In all late production models, the gunner's station is also provided with day/night sights with five power magnification and a stadiametric rangefinder.<ref name="Forecast" /> Some of the more common Urutu variants replaced the Browning heavy machine gun with a single turret or pintle-mounted 7.62mm general-purpose machine gun.<ref name="Recognition" /> Depending on the size of the turret ring, it was also possible to fit heavier turrets carrying gun-mortars or low-pressure cannon for direct fire support.<ref name="Forecast" />

Transmission consists of an Allison MT-643 automatic gearbox with five forward and one reverse gear ratios.<ref name="Forecast" /> Early Brazilian Army Urutus used either a Clark manually operated gearbox with the same gear pattern or a manual Mercedes-Benz 63/40 gearbox.<ref name="Forecast" /> The Urutu has an independent double wishbone suspension for its front wheels, but the rear two axles are fitted with a unique boomerang type walking beam suspension with semi-elliptical springs.<ref name="Forecast" />

===External===
Urutus had a very distinct hull with a sharply angled glacis; the front of the hull slopes back to just forward of the rear wheels at 60°.<ref name="Recognition" /> The hull sides are vertical until halfway to the roof line, at which point they slope slightly inwards.<ref name="Recognition" /> Hull doors are visible to the rear of the first wheel station on either side of the vehicle, although the final production run of Urutus produced by Engesa eliminated the door on the right to create a more spacious engine compartment.<ref name="Recognition" />

==Variants==
===Production marks===
* '''Urutu Mk I''': First production model to enter service with the Brazilian Army in 1975. Powered by a 174&nbsp;hp (130&nbsp;kW) Mercedes-Benz engine with a manual Clark transmission.<ref name="Forecast" /><ref name="Compendium" /> This variant also lacked propellers; water propulsion was accomplished by use of the wheels.<ref name="Forecast" />
* '''Urutu Mk II''': Second production model, which replaced the Clark gearbox with a Mercedes-Benz 63/40 gearbox but was otherwise identical to the first mark.<ref name="Forecast" />
* '''Urutu Mk III''': Third and by far most common production model, which incorporated an Allison MT-643 automatic gearbox and a [[Detroit Diesel]] 6V-53T 6-cylinder water-cooled diesel engine.<ref name="Forecast" />
* '''Urutu Mk IV''': The final production model introduced by Engesa, which offered the option of a 190&nbsp;hp (142&nbsp;kW) Mercedes-Benz OM 352 engine and an Allison AT-540 automatic gearbox.<ref name="Compendium" /><ref name="Forecast" /> Other possible options included various Mercedes engine and Allison gearbox combinations.<ref name="Forecast" />

===Other variants===
[[File:Uruvel90mm 1.jpg|thumb|Uruvel with 90&nbsp;mm gun undergoing trials.]]
Engesa produced a wide variety of variants which grafted modifications on its basic production models; of these the Uruvel is the most well-known, but the others went largely unnamed and were often designated according to their intended role.<ref name="Compendium" />
* '''Uruvel''': Also known as the ''Urutu Armored Fire Support Vehicle'', the Uruvel was developed for a US Army program during the 1980s aimed at creating a multi-purpose, air-portable wheeled armored vehicle capable of delivering direct fire support as needed.<ref name="Forecast" /> It was a baseline Urutu modified with a large turret ring to accommodate the Cockerill Mk.III 90&nbsp;mm cannon and EC-90 turret of the EE-9 Cascavel.<ref name="Forecast" /> The Uruvel was first publicly unveiled in 1985; it could seat four infantrymen in addition to a driver and two-man turret crew.<ref name="Forecast" />
* '''EE-11 Mortar Carrier''': Urutu modified with an 81&nbsp;mm mortar in the troop compartment; the mortar is fired through a hatch in the hull roof.<ref name="Forecast" /> The mortar could be elevated from +40° to +80° and was designed for quick disassembly as needed. A 7.62mm general-purpose machine gun is mounted on the hull roof for self-defense.<ref name="Forecast" />
* '''EE-11 Ambulance''': Urutu equipped with four stretchers, a freezer, and medical equipment, as well as a raised roofline, with the troop compartment redesigned for casualty transport.<ref name="Forecast" />
* '''EE-11 Riot Control''': Turretless Urutu equipped with a bulldozer blade for clearing street barricades.<ref name="JaneAA" />
* '''EE-11 Recovery''': Urutu modified with a hydraulic crane and towing winch, portable generator, and increased internal stowage for accommodating power tools and welding equipment.<ref name="Forecast" />
* '''EE-11 Anti-Tank''': Urutu fitted with a one-man turret housing a 25&nbsp;mm autocannon capable of firing 600 rounds per minute and a bank for [[BGM-71 TOW|TOW]] anti-tank guided missiles.<ref name="UAE">[https://web.archive.org/web/20221207144831/http://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a351295.pdf Latin America Report]</ref> This variant was developed for the [[United Arab Emirates]];<ref name="UAE" /> it could also be fitted with [[MILAN]] anti-tank guided missiles as needed.<ref name="Forecast" />
* '''EE-11 Cargo Transporter''': Urutu designed as a general transporter for hauling or towing heavy loads. This variant had an internal load capacity of up to 2,000&nbsp;kg.<ref name="Forecast" />
* '''EE-11 Command and Control''': Urutu modified to carry additional radio equipment.<ref name="Forecast" />
* '''EE-11 Air Defense''': Urutu carrying twin 20&nbsp;mm autocannon in a French-designed Electronique Serge Dassault TA20/RA20 turret.<ref name="Forecast" />

There were also Urutu prototypes modified to carry turrets armed with twin general-purpose machine guns, twin heavy machine guns, a [[CM60A1]] gun-mortar, or a single HS804 20&nbsp;mm autocannon.<ref name="Forecast" />

===Colombian derivatives===
During the early 1990s, [[Colombia]] began seeking a domestically produced replacement for its Urutu fleet. The decision to acquire a uniquely Colombian armored personnel carrier was made because it saved hard currency and promoted local industry; with Engesa's closure, Colombian officials were also concerned that parts for the Urutu series would become increasingly scarce and expensive to source in the future.<ref name="Aymara1">{{cite web|title=Um Urutu Simplificado "Made in Colombia" Aymara 4x4 – Transporte de Tropas|last=Bastos|first=Carlos Stephani|url=http://www.ecsbdefesa.com.br/fts/Aymara.pdf|location=Juiz de Fora
|publisher=[[Federal University of Juiz de Fora]]|date=2016|access-date=15 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180115173153/http://www.ecsbdefesa.com.br/fts/Aymara.pdf|archive-date=15 January 2018}}</ref> In 1993, Colombia produced a single prototype designated ''El Zipo'', which was essentially a simplified Urutu rebuilt with local parts and a reverse engineered hull.<ref name="Aymara1" /> Between 1996 and 2003 three more prototypes were built and designated ''Aymara''.<ref name="Aymara1" /> The program was shelved after the Colombian Army rejected the ''Aymara'' in favor of the [[Dragoon 300]] to complement the Urutus remaining in service.<ref name="Aymara1" /> At least one prototype was retained for training purposes, while another may have been converted into an explosive ordnance disposal vehicle.<ref name="Aymara1" />

The Colombian Urutu derivatives shared the same transmission, electrical system, and engine of the baseline Urutu but utilized a four-wheeled chassis which eliminated the vehicle's articulated boomerang suspension.<ref name="Aymara1" /> Their hulls were externally identical to that of the Urutu, retaining the same hatch and door configuration; however, the interior dimensions were different.<ref name="Aymara1" /> For example, the engine compartment of the ''Aymara'' was located in the center of the hull rather than at the front and to the right like the Urutu.<ref name="Aymara1" /> The prototypes were all at least five tonnes heavier than the standard Urutu and lacked amphibious capability.<ref name="Aymara1" />

==Operators==
<!--READ FIRST: This section is for cited entries only. Please do not add entries into this list without a citation from a reliable source. All entries without a citation will be removed. An entry added to a preexisting footnote which does not explicitly back it up is considered uncited and will also be removed. Thank you.-->

===Current operators===
[[File:EE-11 operators.png|thumb|400px|Map of EE-11 operators in blue with former operators in red]]
[[File:Tanque de Guerra en las calles de Cúcuta.JPG|thumb|EE-11 Urutu in service with the [[Colombian Army]] in 2016.]]
* {{flag|Angola}}: 24<ref name="Engesa" />
* {{flag|Bolivia}}: 12<ref name="Engesa" />
* {{flag|Brazil}}: 5 M2, 50 M6 variants in service as ambulance/engineering vehicles; in process of replacement by [[VBTP-MR Guarani]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.infodefensa.com/texto-diario/mostrar/3885356/brasil-decide-dar-baja-129-vehiculos-blindados-ee-11-urutu-6x6 |title=Brasil da de baja 129 vehículos blindados EE-11 Urutu 6x6 |publisher=Infodefensa |date=14 September 2022 |language=es}}</ref><ref>[http://www.armyrecognition.com/december_2012_new_army_military_defence_industry/iveco_delivered_the_first_batch_of_vbtp-mr_guarani_armoured_vehicle_to_brazilian_army_1612121.html IVECO delivers first batch of VBTP-MR vehicles to the Brazilian Army] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929035258/http://www.armyrecognition.com/december_2012_new_army_military_defence_industry/iveco_delivered_the_first_batch_of_vbtp-mr_guarani_armoured_vehicle_to_brazilian_army_1612121.html |date=2013-09-29 }} - Armyrecognition.com, December 16, 2012</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://tecnodefesa.com.br/exercito-continua-com-a-desativacao-do-ee-11-urutu/|language=pt|publisher=Tecnodefesa|title=Exército continua com a desativação do EE-11 Urutu|date=10 February 2024|access-date=11 February 2024}}</ref>
* {{flag|Colombia}}: 56<ref name="Engesa" />
* {{flag|Cyprus}}: 10<ref name="trade" />
* {{flag|Dubai}}: 60<ref name="trade" />
* {{flag|Ecuador}}: 32<ref name="Engesa" />
* {{flag|Gabon}}: 12<ref name=IISS>{{cite book |last=[[International Institute for Strategic Studies]]|date=2021|title=The Military Balance|page=467|isbn=9781032012278}}</ref>
* {{flag|Guyana}} 24<ref name="JaneAA" />
* {{flag|Iraq}}: 148<ref name="Engesa" />
** {{flag|Kurdistan Region}}<ref>{{cite web |last=Hamid Zebari |first=Abdel |url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/04/kurdish-forces-in-kirkuk-enrage-baghdad.html |title=Erbil Sends Forces to Outskirts of Kirkuk, Enraging Baghdad |publisher=Al Monitor |date=2013-04-29 |access-date=2017-06-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170131034924/http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/04/kurdish-forces-in-kirkuk-enrage-baghdad.html |archive-date=2017-01-31 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* {{flag|Iran}}<ref name="Third" /><ref name=Razoux /><ref>{{Cite web|title=Engesa EE-11 Urutu (Pit Viper)|url=https://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.asp?armor_id=900|access-date=2021-03-05|website=www.militaryfactory.com|language=en-US}}</ref>
* {{flag|Jordan}}: 82<ref name="Engesa" />
* {{flag|Libya}}<ref name="trade" />
* {{flag|Nigeria}}<ref name="Recognition" />
* {{flag|Paraguay}}: 12<ref name="Engesa" />
* {{flag|Senegal}}<ref name="Senegal">{{cite news|title=Senegal parades new military hardware|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->
|url=http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=47453:senegal-parades-new-military-hardware&catid=50:Land&Itemid=105|work=DefenceWeb|location=Johannesburg|date=11 April 2017|access-date=15 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180115201859/http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=47453:senegal-parades-new-military-hardware&catid=50:Land&Itemid=105|archive-date=January 15, 2018}}</ref>
* {{flag|Suriname}}: 15<ref name="trade" />
* {{flag|Tunisia}}: 18<ref name="Engesa" /><ref name=Maghreb1>{{cite book|last1=Nerguizian|first1=Aram|last2=Cordesman|first2=Anthony|title=The North African Military Balance: Force Developments in the Maghreb|date=2009|pages=44–46|publisher=Center for Strategic and International Studies Press|location=Washington DC|isbn=978-0-89206-552-3}}</ref>
* {{flag|Uruguay}}: 29<ref name="trade" /><ref name="Brazil Uruguay donation">{{Cite web | url=https://www.pucara.org/post/c%C3%A1mara-de-diputados-de-brasil-aprueba-donaci%C3%B3n-de-21-veh%C3%ADculos-blindados-a-uruguay | title=Cámara de Diputados de Brasil aprueba donación de 21 vehículos blindados a Uruguay | website=Pucará Defensa | date=6 August 2022 | language=es}}</ref>
* {{flag|Venezuela}}: 38<ref name="Engesa" />
* {{flag|Zimbabwe}}: 7<ref name="Engesa" />

===Former operators===
* {{flag|Chile}}: 37<ref name="Engesa" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/brazil/ee-3.htm Globalsecurity.org]
* [http://www.armyrecognition.com/Amerique_du_sud/Bresile/vehicules_a_roues/EE_11/Engesa_EE11_Bresil_description.htm Armyrsion] includes Engesa's Boomera
{{Modern AFV}}
{{Engesa}}

[[Category:Wheeled armoured personnel carriers]]
[[Category:Armoured personnel carriers of Brazil]]
[[Category:Amphibious armoured personnel carriers]]
[[Category:Armoured personnel carriers of the Cold War]]
[[Category:Wheeled amphibious armoured fighting vehicles]]
[[Category:Six-wheeled vehicles]]
[[Category:Military vehicles introduced in the 1970s]]