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| sk-105 kurassier tank destroyer |
Brazilian Marines are assembling a unique armored force that will rival many of the army forces in the region, should be more than capable in any peace keeping role and is laying the foundation for a formidable future force.
Currently they're ...
* Updating their M-113's with the assistance of Israel Military Industries.
* Acquiring 26 AAV-7's from USMC stocks that will be upgraded to the latest version...additionally their current fleet of 26 AAV's will also be upgraded to the same standard.
* Acquiring 18 Piranha IIIC APC's. These will complement the current inventory of 12 vehicles.
* My personal favorite the SK-105 will be upgraded with a new fire control suite and turret stabilization system (I'm intrigued by this vehicle for the simple reason that its a light tank in a world that doesn't have them. The weight savings, matched with its 105 mm gun in my mind makes it ideal for the Marine role...if heavier armor is needed then they can be augmented by Army units).
What's driving this modernization and enlargement? The Brazilians are planning for a second Marine Fleet.
A force of 21,000 men has a respectable amount of armor attached. I'm impressed.
