Brasília (DF) – Located in Boa Vista (RR), the 12th Mechanized Cavalry Squadron (12o Fleet C Mec), a unit that provides armoured vehicle employment capacity on the northern border, is in the process of being transformed into a structure three times larger: the 18th Mechanized Cavalry Regiment (18° R C Mec). Planned by the Brazilian Army since 2009, this evolution was set to be carried out in the current 2022-2023 biennium by the Army Strategic Plan 2020-2023, a multi-year document of the Force’s objectives that was consolidated in 2019.
According to the Army General Staff (EME), the process of deploying the new unit, initially planned for 2025, went ahead this month as a natural response to the current geopolitical situation on the northern border. As a result, the 18th R C Mec will be made up of around 600 soldiers, distributed in three Fleets and a command and support squadron. Armored vehicles will be deployed from the south and central-west of the country to Roraima.
According to the 3rd Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army, Lieutenant General Jayro, the transformation of the 18th R C Mec has been carried out in several phases. “It involves the movement of troops, the transfer of personnel, the distribution of military equipment and the construction of facilities. It’s all part of a process that has been going on for a few years and will take a few more years.”
Also according to the General, the deployment of the 18th R C Mec is part of a plan that involves interventions and improvements in other units in the Amazon region, such as the expansion of the 7th Jungle Infantry Battalion and the 1st Jungle Logistics Battalion. “These works were already underway and are ongoing,” said the General. The 3rd Deputy Chief also pointed out that, in recent years, the reinforcement of the Army’s presence in the Amazon has also been consolidated with the creation of the 22nd Jungle Infantry Brigade, subordinate to the Northern Military Command.
Work on the Regiment’s new facilities is in the planning and execution phase, with completion scheduled for 2025. The allocation of military personnel has begun and is underway. Equipment such as the 16 Guaicurus 4×4 Multitask Armored Vehicles are being deployed to the newly created unit throughout December. Despite covering vast areas of jungle, Roraima also includes flat terrain called “lavrado”, which is highly suitable for the use of armored cavalry.
Characteristics of the Mechanized Cavalry
The Mechanized Cavalry is characterized by providing firepower, armored protection, flexibility, speed, shock action and wide and flexible communications. These attributes are embodied in the three armored vehicles that make up the Cavalry’s backbone: the Cascavel, the Guarani and the Guaicuru. The Cascavel vehicles have greater firepower and are anti-tank weapons par excellence. The Guaranis, on the other hand, can be equipped with .50 machine guns and cannons, and provide armored protection for troops on foot. The Guaicurus vehicles can be equipped with machine guns and missiles, providing firepower for reconnaissance missions.
*** Translated by DEFCONPress FYI Team ***