Bernardelli X1A/A1/A2

     Notes: These light tanks are a radical rebuild of the World War 2-era M3A1 Stuart, with a new suspension, new diesel engine, new turret, heavier armament, and a new fire-control system.  (One has to look hard to see their M3A1 roots.) These were adopted by the Brazilian Army in the early 1970s since their Stuart progenitors were getting a bit long in the tooth, and 80 were delivered total, of X1Ax, X1A1s, and X1A2s.  They have never been offered to the international market. The X1A-series were used until the early 1990s, though in the mid-1980s, they were at first supplemented, then replaced by better vehicles in the mid-1980s.

X1A

    The X-1A, as stated above, is based in an M3A1 Stuart chassis.  It was modified with a new, more shock-absorbing suspension, a new turret armed with a 90mm French-made cannon, heavier armament, and a fire/explosion detection and suppression system. The new gun was the same as used on some version of the AML-90, and was a low recoil gun with a beefy muzzle brake. The original engine was replaced with a Swedish SAAB-Scania ICSD diesel, with 280 horsepower. The frontal armor, in addition to applique, was given increased slope. The sides of the tank were given a moderate slope. Communications were brought up to date, and the fourth crewmember could now operate as a loader.  The suspension was replaced with a vertical volute system.  The driver has a hatch on the front left side, and the commander and loader have hatches on the turret deck.  The gunner uses loader's hatch. The X1A was not produced in large numbers, as the further improved X1A1 and A2 were available a couple of years later.

X1A1

     The X1A1 is basically a prototype that reached very limited LRIP production, and was withdrawn within months, as the then-new X1A2 became available and the existing X1As and X1A1s were upgraded to the X1A2 standard.  The X1A1 is a stretched X1A, primarily to allow for more ammunition stowage.  A third bogie was added, and the vehicle increased in length by 1.5 meters. However, little other improvements were made on the X1A1, and no orders were made for this version.  However, the X1A1 did not go to waste, while no X1A1 light tanks were ordered, a modified version carrying the Avribas X40 rocket launcher was built in small numbers.

     It should be noted that X1A1 was used as the base chassis for the Avibras X30 MRL.

X1A2

     The X1A2 incorporated the features of the previous two vehicles, including the stretched length of the X1A1.  Improvements have been made in the turret and hull armor, night vision has been added, a laser rangefinder has been installed, and air conditioning is provided. The engine is also more powerful, replaced with a Saab-Scania ICSD turbocharged diesel uprated to 300 horsepower to cope with the added weight, and the fuel tanks are larger. The main gun is replaced with a more powerful 90mm gun that has more flexibility in ammunition and is low-pressure, and, along with a beefier muzzle brake, has much reduced recoil.. The gun has an autoloader, allowing the loader and his position to be removed from the vehicle. The chassis lengthening and improvements were carried over to the X1A2, and rearranged ammunition stowage allowed more rounds to be carried.  Only 30 of these light tanks were delivered between 1979 and 1983, but almost all of them were new-build vehicles.  The X1A2 was also given a new name, the Caracara.

     It should be noted that in addition to the X1A series, the Brazilians retained some 100 stock M3 and M5 Stuarts, and these were not replaced until the mid-1980s.  X1A, and X1A1 variants were phased out in the 1990s and scrapped.  X1A2s are maintained in working order by civilian employees of Bernardelli, and kept in a reserve role.