By Gabriel Araujo
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - BAE Systems (LON:BAES) Plc is scheduling a test of its CV90 armored combat vehicle in Brazil this year, an executive told Reuters, as it seeks to provide information about the product to local armed forces ahead of a potential purchase decision.
BAE's vice president for international market creation, Marc Collins, said the company had been talking with local industry and the army about the "possible future project," which could lead to the replacement of Brazil's current tanks.
The UK-based company has highlighted the local content it could offer for the CV90 on customer request, including manufacturing and final assembly.
"The projects we seek to do, we very much envision as being done in Brazil, for Brazil, in cooperation with or led by Brazilian industry," Collins said in an interview at the LAAD defense exhibition in Rio de Janeiro, where BAE showcased the vehicle through virtual reality.
A forthcoming test expected by the summer will show the CV90 on the ground, Collins said, adding the firm was coordinating to bring the vehicle to Brazil for mobility and firing demonstrations.
It remains unclear how soon Brazil might look to replace any of its current tank fleet, which includes locally produced Guarani and Cascavel models and also M113 armored personnel carriers from the United States.
A BAE spokesperson said the company was showcasing the CV90 to Brazil "should it have a requirement for such a capability in the future."
Sweden, where the vehicle is manufactured, is the largest operator of the CV90, with other operators including the Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Estonia.
"We see the potential opportunity here in Brazil as positive enough that we are willing and interested to bring the vehicle to demonstrate it," Collins said.