Bravia Chaimite

     Notes:  This Portuguese wheeled armored personnel carrier is also used by Lebanon, Libya, Peru, and the Philippines; the Filipinos are the second largest users of the Chaimite.  The Libyans also supplied one to the PLO, and it is believed to still be in service. It was adopted in the late 1960s by Portugal and by other countries a short time later. It has seen combat service in Portugal’s colonial wars, and in UN service. It is a light, four-wheeled APC that comes in many versions. Most are APC or reconnaissance versions, but there are also command, armor ambulance, and a number of non-APC versions. Portugal is currently in the process of replacing the Chaimite.

     The hull is all-welded by lasers, an advanced technique for the time. The driver has a hatch on left front deck, while the vehicle commander sits on the right of him. The driver and commander have small bullet resistant windows to the front and sides of them, and hatches above them.  The driver and commander have firing ports directly in front of them and to the sides of them, but these are only shutters with armored covers and not sealed firing ports.  There are three similar firing ports on the left side of the vehicle, four on the right, and two in the rear. There are two-part clamshell doors on either side of the passenger compartment, and a door on the right rear of the hull, with one of the firing ports.  The top of the clamshell doors can be locked open outwards, or locked open inwards to form a window. On the roof there is usually a small turret (except on the basic V-200 APC and the command version); these turrets may be armed differently depending on the type of Chaimite involved. The versions with multiple antiarmor weapons typically have them one or two on each side of the turret. The roof also has a pair of large hatches over the troop compartment.

     The V-300 Recon version has an extra long-range and extra medium-range radio, as well as improved vision equipment and fire control.  Like the APC version, some have antiarmor capability.  The command version generally has two long-range, two medium-range, and two-long range radios, and a rearranged interior with a map board, map storage, and office and plotting-type supplies.  The ambulance version has room for two stretcher cases plus four sitting patients and a medic.  It has the equivalent of one doctor’s medical bag, 10 personal medical kits, an oxygen administration kit, a defibrillator, and various supplies like splints, bandages, and other medical supplies.

     The Chaimite was originally powered by a Chrysler gasoline engine, but these were quickly replaced by a 155-horsepower Cummins diesel engine. Transmission is manual.  Suspension is 4x4 off-road-type, with a spare tire normally mounted at the front of the vehicle. The front of the hull has a winch with a capacity of 4.53 tons, with 38.1 meters of cable. The Chaimite is amphibious, propelled in the water by its wheels. Armor is painfully light.

Vehicle

Price

Fuel Type

Load

Veh Wt

Crew

Mnt

Night Vision

Radiological

Basic V-200

$27,263

D, A

1.2 tons

7.3 tons

3+8

4

Headlights

Enclosed

V-200 Twin 7.62mm Turret

$49,294

D, A

1 ton

7.7 tons

3+8

6

Passive IR (G)

Enclosed

V-200 Twin 7.62mm Turret w/Antiarmor

$61,494

D, A

900 kg

8 tons

3+7

7

Passive IR (G)

Enclosed

V-200 7.62/.50 Turret

$52,328

D, A

900 kg

8 tons

3+8

6

Passive IR (G)

Enclosed

V-200 7.62/.50 Turret w/Antiarmor

$64,628

D, A

800 kg

8.3 tons

3+7

7

Passive IR (G)

Enclosed

V-300 Recon

$58,210

D, A

900 kg

8 tons

3+5

7

Passive IR (G), Image Intensification (G)

Enclosed

V-300 Recon w/Antiarmor

$70,510

D, A

800 kg

8.3 tons

3+5

7

Passive IR (G), Image Intensification (G)

Enclosed

V-500 CPC

$31,500

D, A

600 kg

7.7 tons

3+4

7

Headlights

Enclosed

V-500 Ambulance

$31,353

D, A

600 kg

7.6 tons

*

7

Headlights

Enclosed

 

Vehicle

Tr Mov

Com Mov

Fuel Cap

Fuel Cons

Config

Susp

Armor

Basic V-200

168/84

39/20/4

300

78

Stnd

W(3)

HF3  HS3  HR2

V-200 7.62mm Turret

161/81

37/19/4

300

81

CiH

W(3)

TF2  TS2  TR2  HF3  HS3  HR2

V-200 Twin 7.62mm Turret w/Antiarmor/7.62mm & .50 Turret/V-300 Recon

153/76

35/19/4

300

86

CiH

W(3)

TF2  TS2  TR2  HF3  HS3  HR2

V-200 7.62/.50 Turret w/Antiarmor/V-300 Recon w/Antiarmor

148/74

34/18/3

300

89

CiH

W(3)

TF2  TS2  TR2  HF3  HS3  HR2

V-300 Recon

217/130

45/30/5

300

76

CiH

W(3)

TF2  TS2  TR2  HF3  HS2  HR2

V-500 CPC/Ambulance

161/81

37/19/4

300

81

Stnd

W(3)

HF3  HS3  HR2

 

Vehicle

Fire Control

Stabilization

Armament

Ammunition

Basic V-200/V-500 CPC

None

None

MG-3 (C), M-2HB (C), or M-249 (C)

7100x7.62mm, 4000x.50, or 9700x5.56mm

V-200 Twin 7.62mm Turret

None

Basic

2xMG-3

9500x7.62mm

V-200 Twin 7.62mm Turret w/Antiarmor

None

Basic

Twin MG-3s, 4xM-20A1 Bazookas or 2xSS-11 ATGM Launchers or M-40A2 Recoilless Rifle

9500x7.62mm, 8x89mm or 4xSS-11 ATGM or 6x106mm

V-200 7.62/.50 Turret

+1

Basic

MG-3, M-2HB

4750x7.62mm, 2850x.50

V-200 7.62/.50 Turret w/Antiarmor

+1

Basic

MG-3, M-2HB, 4xM-20A1 Bazookas or 2xSS-11 ATGM Launchers, or M-40A2 Recoilless Rifle

4750x7.62mm, 2850x.50, 8x89mm or 4xSS-11 ATGM or 6x106mm

V-300 Recon

+2

Fair

20mm KAA Autocannon, MG-3

400x20mm, 4750x7.62mm

V-300 Recon w/Antiarmor

+2

Fair

20mm KAA Autocannon, MG-3, 4xM-20A1 Bazookas or 2xSS-11 ATGM Launchers, or M-40A2 Recoilless Rifle

400x20mm, 4750x7.62mm, 8xBazooka Shells, or 4xSS-11 ATGM or 6x106mm

 

Bravia Commando Mk III

     Notes:  This is an armored car used by the Portuguese National Guard and at least two other unnamed countries, probably in Africa.  It was developed in 1977 at first for the Portuguese National Guard, primarily for internal security use, and the two other countries which use it are also known to use it in internal security purposes.  The Commando Mk III was preceded by unsuccessful Mk I and Mk II prototypes.  The Commando Mk III is based on the SWB version of the Bravia Gazela light truck, fitted with a welded steel body.

     Being basically an armored truck, the Commando Mk III is truck-like in appearance, with the engine up front under a hood, a cab with the commander and driver behind that with a bullet-resistant windshield and bullet-resistant windows to the sides, with armored shutters which can be dropped or slid over the windows which have vision slits in them.  They have doors in the sides of their cab. The troops are in the rear, with the very rear being a low section that holds equipment and has a spare tire atop it on the exterior.  Troop access is on the rear of the troop compartment via a door; the troops must climb over the rear of the vehicle and the spare tire if present. On some versions, the troop compartment is topped by a small turret mounting a pair of machineguns, but on most versions, the vehicle has a simple ring mount with a machinegun or riot control grenade launcher.  On the turreted versions, there is a bank of five smoke grenade launchers at the rear; on versions without turrets, there is a cluster of three smoke grenade launchers at the front corners of the body of the vehicle over the driver’s and commander’s positions.  There are four firing ports, one on each side and two in the rear of the troop compartment.  The vehicle does not have an NBC system, but it does have a forced air system to clear the interior as much as possible of irritant gas or smoke, since the firing ports are merely shuttered holes rather than sealed firing ports.

     Suspension is 4x4 and of the off-road-type, switchable to 4x2 for road use.  Run-flat tires are optional; run-flat sand tires are also optional, as is air conditioning.  The interior does not have a fire suppression system beyond fire extinguisher bottles, but the interior walls are lined with non-flammable PVC foam.  Power may be provided by an 81-horsepower Perkins diesel or a Dodge 150-horsepower gasoline engine; transmission is manual.

Vehicles

Price

Fuel Type

Load

Veh Wt

Crew

Mnt

Night Vision

Radiological

Commando Mk III (Basic, Gas)

$17,917

D, A

700 kg

4.2 tons

3+5

4

Headlights

Enclosed

Commando Mk III (Basic, Diesel)

$17,657

D, A

700 kg

4.2 tons

3+5

4

Headlights

Enclosed

Commando Mk III (Twin MG Turret, Gas)

$22,077

D, A

600 kg

4.6 tons

3+5

4

Headlights

Enclosed

Commando Mk III (Twin MG Turret, Diesel)

$21,817

D, A

600 kg

4.6 tons

3+5

4

Headlights

Enclosed

Commando Mk III (.50/7.62mm Turret, Gas)

$25,165

D, A

500 kg

4.9 tons

3+5

4

Headlights

Enclosed

 

Vehicle

Tr Mov

Com Mov

Fuel Cap

Fuel Cons

Config

Susp

Armor

Commando Mk III (Basic, Gas)

248/125

57/29

160

100

Stnd

W(2)

HF2  HS2  HR2

Commando Mk III (Basic, Diesel)

143/72

33/17

160

36

Stnd

W(2)

HF2  HS2  HR2

Commando Mk III (Twin MG Turret, Gas)

230/116

53/27

160

110

CiH

W(2)

TF2  TS2  TR2  HF2  HS2  HR2

Commando Mk III (Twin MG Turret, Diesel)

135/68

31/16

160

39

CiH

W(2)

TF2  TS2  TR2  HF2  HS2  HR2

Commando Mk III (.50/7.62mm Turret, Gas)

219/110

51/26

160

114

CiH

W(2)

TF2  TS2  TR2  HF2  HS2  HR2

Commando Mk III (.50/7.62mm Turret, Diesel)

130/66

30/15

160

41

CiH

W(2)

TF2  TS2  TR2  HF2  HS2  HR2

 

Vehicle

Fire Control

Stabilization

Armament

Ammunition

Commando Mk III (Basic)

None

None

MAG

1850x7.62mm

Commando Mk III (Twin MG Turret)

None

Basic

2xMAG

1850x7.62mm

Commando Mk III (.50/7.62mm Turret)

+1

Basic

M-2HB, MAG

500x.50, 1000x7.62mm