Fitted with an Iveco-FPT 9-litre, 281 kW (383 HP) bi-fuel common-rail engine, coupled to an automatic gearbox, it can carry 11 personnel. VBTP is 7.0 metres long, 2.7 metres wide and 2.3 metres in height and can be transported by C-130 Hercules and KC-390 aircrafts. It can be equipped with manned and unmanned turrets carrying armament from 5.56 to 30 mm.

This new family of armoured vehicles has been developed jointly by Iveco and the Brazilian Army (DCT - Department of Science and Technology) following the contract signed on 18 December 2009. A total of 2044 VBTP-MR vehicles will be supplied, with deliveries started in 2013 and spread over the period to 2030. The frame contract value exceeds €2 billion.

The vehicles are being produced in a purpose built facility in Sete Lagoas (Brazil). The Brazilian Army nomenclature for the VBTP vehicle is “Guarani”. The Guarani is designed to provide the basis for a family of vehicles capable of fulfilling a multitude of roles. The adoption of a modular approach to product development provides numerous advantages including the development of product variants without unnecessary re-engineering (reducing timescales and costs), optimum combination of power, protection and payload and flexibility in operation, and support through improved maintainability and ease of upgrade. With different configurations to fulfil roles including personnel carrier, reconnaissance, recovery, ambulance, etc, the Guarani family will meet a whole range of operational needs, extending the Army’s operational capability in scenarios which are particularly suited to this type of vehicle.

The use of commercial off the shelf (COTS) main assemblies (ensures outstanding levels of reliability and consequently excellent fleet availability, ease of maintenance and low whole life costs).