FNSS and John Cockerill look to Latin America

Turkey’s FNSS is looking to expand its presence to Latin America with its first attendance at the Latin America Aerospace and Defence (LAAD) exhibition, according to a 25th March company press release. The company plans to cooperate with John Cockerill Defense in the show that runs from April 1st to the 4th in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  

The two companies will present the Kaplan medium tank, which combines the Cockerill 3105 turret armed with a high pressure 105 mm gun with the FNSS Kaplan tracked vehicle family. Another variant of the Kaplan family will be presented with the Cockerill 3030, 30mm unmanned turret

“This event provides a significant platform for us to engage with the Brazilian Armed Forces, Army, Mechanised Infantry and international delegations from across the world. We are eager to demonstrate our commitment to delivering cutting-edge defence solutions,” the FNSS International Business Development Director, Melih Kayaalp said.

The two companies appear to be entering the race for Brazil’s VBC CC (Viaturas Blindadas de Combate Carro de Combate) and VBC Fuz (Viaturas Blindadas de Combate de Fuzileiros) programmes. An RFI for these two programmes was issued in 2024, with 65 tanks for the VBC CC programme and 78 IFVs under the VBC Fuz. 

Both are part of the Strategic Programme of the Brazilian Army’s Armoured Forces, which has a budget of $5.3 billion according to InfoDefensa. The programme is expected to be delivered by 2040 and will serve alongside the Centauro II, which is an 8×8 armed with a 120 mm gun. Other vehicles potentially competing for the requirement include the CV90 with the CV90120 being offered for the VBC CC requirement. 

Calibre comment

The FNSS and John Cockerill Kaplan is in service with Indonesia. It was designed for the off-road conditions and jungle terrain that covers around 52% of the country. This could give the Kaplan MT a strong position in the competition, although Brazil has existing strong links with Iveco through its VBTP-MR Guarani 6×6 armoured vehicles and now the Centauro II.