EE-3 Jararaca
| EE-3 Jararaca | |
|---|---|
Ecuadorian Army EE-3s on parade, 2005. | |
| Type | Scout car |
| Place of origin | Brazil |
| Service history | |
| Used by | See Operators |
| Wars | Iran–Iraq War Gulf War |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1979 |
| Manufacturer | Engesa |
| Unit cost | USD $82,000 (new) |
| Produced | 1982–1990 |
| Variants | See Variants |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 5.8 tonnes (6.4 short tons; 5.7 long tons) |
| Length | 4.16 m (13 ft 8 in) |
| Width | 2.23 m (7 ft 4 in) |
| Height | 1.56 m (5 ft 1 in) (hull) |
| Crew | 3 (commander, gunner, driver) |
Main armament | 12.7mm M2 Browning machine gun (1,000 stowed rounds) |
| Engine | Mercedes-Benz OM 314A 4-cylinder water-cooled diesel 120 hp (89 kW) at 2,800 rpm |
| Power/weight | 20.7 hp/tonne (14.9 kW/tonne) |
| Suspension | Semi-elliptical springs with hydropneumatic shock dampers |
| Ground clearance | 0.31m |
| Fuel capacity | 135 litres |
Operational range | 750 km |
| Maximum speed | 100 km/h (62 mph) |
The EE-3 Jararaca is a Brazilian scout car developed for route reconnaissance, liaison, and internal security purposes. It was engineered by Engesa in response to a perceived Brazilian Army requirement for a light armored car capable of replacing its unarmored utility vehicles in the liaison and security role. The first Jararaca prototype appeared in 1979 and serial production commenced in 1982 after extensive operational testing in Brazil. It was ultimately rejected for large scale service with the Brazilian Army due to concerns over the limited mobility of its four-wheeled chassis but achieved some minor successes on the export market.
After the early 1980s, the Jararaca was marketed solely towards potential export customers such as Iraq and Libya, both of which influenced the vehicle's continued development. Nevertheless, much of Engesa's marketing efforts for the Jararaca were stymied by a combination of a trend towards heavier wheeled armored fighting vehicles and a surplus of cheaper light armored cars available to the armies of developing nations, particularly during the final years of the Cold War.