The Brazilian Army has received its first LMV-BR2 4×4, a highly localised vehicle based on the LMV platform, marking another step in the modernisation of its land forces.
On 9 September 2026, the Brazilian Army received its first Brazilian-built example of the Viatura Blindada Multitarefa (VBMT; ENG: multi-purpose armoured vehicle) LMV-BR2 ‘Guaicurus’ 4×4 during a ceremony at Iveco Defence Vehicles (IDV) Latam in the city of Sete Lagoas.
This is the first of 420 vehicles purchased by the Brazilian Army in July 2024 to equip the force’s mechanised brigades, replacing the Agrale Marruá AM11 and AM21, in a contract worth BRL 1.4 billion (EUR 230 million in 2024).
A further 15 vehicles are slated to be delivered before the end of 2026. From 2027 onwards, deliveries are expected to average around 55 vehicles per year, with the programme scheduled for completion in 2034.
It is expected that the vehicles will have a level of nationalisation similar to the Guarani 6×6 APC, which, according to a source consulted by Warsight, currently stands at around 90% locally sourced components.
They will feature hardware and software solutions such as the TRC-1193V VHF radios, intercom and antennas from Brazilian War Material Industry (IMBEL), and the PROTEUS platform management system, based on the principles of the United Kingdom’s Generic Vehicle Architecture (GVA).
It is expected that 105 vehicles will receive Ares’ REMAX 4 remote weapon stations, while the other 315 will be equipped with the REMAN manned weapon station, also from Ares.
Army General Hertz Pires do Nascimento, who was present at the ceremony, stated in his speech:
“This moment for the Brazilian Army is about receiving a capability that we did not have before: a vehicle with great strength, a high level of armoured protection and high mobility, which will provide troops stationed along the border with security worthy of the respect we must have for these professionals who will be deployed on real patrol and security missions.”
Although the ‘LMV-BR2’ designation and the vehicle’s appearance may suggest that it is based on the Iveco LMV-2, the LMV-BR2 is in fact a new product and is not based on that platform.
The LMV-BR2 was conceived as an evolution of the LMV-BR, Also called ‘Guaicurus’, of which 32 vehicles were acquired in 2019. Its main improvements include increased protection, payload capacity, reliability and mobility. The vehicle does incorporate the key technological improvements developed for the LMV-2, but without increasing the original platform’s weight.
One point worth noting is that, according to Tecnologia & Defesa magazine, which interviewed Humberto Marchioni Spinetti, president of IDV Latin America, in January 2026, the LMV-BR2 will not only be offered for export, but other unspecified Brazilian security forces were already in negotiations to acquire the vehicle.
With the arrival of the LMV-BR2, the Brazilian Army is gaining more than just a new vehicle. It is also gaining a production line supported by the local defence industry, along with significantly greater protection and mobility for personnel who previously relied on unarmoured Agrale Marruá vehicles for patrol, reconnaissance and combat missions.
