Armored Cars: Avibras Guara 4WS

Via Avibras.

A particularly rare tactical vehicle from South America is the Avibras Guara 4WS. It’s a recent outing from Brazil’s state-owned aerospace giant and was unveiled in 2016 after a few years of development. Named after a species of wolf, the Guara is another modular 4×4 truck being pushed as end-all choices for armies on a budget. Although many of its specifications haven’t been revealed, the Guara stands out for its distinctive appearance

Its most obvious characteristic is a broad and sloping bonnet or hood to offer its driver an unobstructed view from behind the windshield. In other aspects the Guara maintains a predictable layout, with an armored cab supporting a bed for hauling cargo.

The few details gleaned from the Guara’s product literature offer no performance metrics nor are its parts revealed. One simply has to assume it runs on a turbo diesel engine strong enough for a top speed reaching 120 kilometers an hour. Avibras has shared its gross weight, however, and it reaches a hefty 12.5 tons. Armor is a robust STANAG III even if this is concentrated at the front of the vehicle and the Guara has Level 2B resistance against bombs and mines. The type of chassis it uses is unclear as well but Avibras’ decades of experience assembling trucks suggests it’s an in-house design.

Of course, the Guara uses independent suspension to make it navigate dirt trails better. There are few provisions for combat aside from a circular roof hatch and small round firing ports on each of the doors. Avibras’ “premier” Guara did have separate rows of smoke grenade dischargers among the edge of its roof but other defensive countermeasures are unavailable at the moment. Military trucks designed for “multi-mission” roles are always adaptable to the end user’s needs. The Guara, on the other hand, keeps its basic variant and whether Avibras can build it into an ambulance or a 6×6 MRAP hasn’t been confirmed yet.

To date, the Guara is still waiting in the wings and its best chance at success is the patronage of Brazil’s law enforcement and military. But its sibling the Tupi, which is a licensed Renault Arquus Sherpa, has stolen some of its thunder and it’s hard to tell if any customers from South America materialize soon. The Guara’s prospects outside the Americas are dicey since Brazil’s military exports never recovered from its 1990s decline. It faces some very stiff competition from Africa, Europe, and the Middle East as well.