Bravia Chaimite: The history of the first Portuguese-built armoured vehicle

A new article about the Chaimite armoured vehicle has been published, this time by Tankograd Militärfahrzeug, a leading publication in the area of military vehicles.

The article, fully published both in English and German, offers a comphreensive narrative of the history of the development, production and operation of this Portuguese-built vehicle which has been in operation for over almost forty years with Portuguese and foreign military and security forces. It also presents new developments and inedit photographs which complete the previous articles published by Motor Clássico. The magazine can be purchased online here.

How is it? The webpage Armorama reviews it as having "extensive technical and historical information on this seldom seen, but highly successful, Portuguese wheeled armoured vehicles" with "photographs which show the vehicle during development stage, manufacture, on training manoeuvres as well as out in the field in Kosovo in 1996. The more modern photographs are of a very high quality, while some of the older ones are a little rougher, but still useful never the less" (read the full review here).

Pedro Monteiro

Gazela, Leopardo and Pantera: The history of the familiy of Portuguese military trucks (2)

The June issue of the Portuguese magazine Motor Clássico brings the second part of the work covering the history of the Portuguese family of military trucks. This family of vehicles, developed by the same company which produced the Chaimite armoured vehicle, included the Gazela, Leopardo and Pantera trucks.

This second part covers the operation of the Gazela and Leopardo in the Portuguese Army, the adaptation of some vehicles for fireman corporations or the heavy Pantera truck. Besides, this article includes an one-page summary with new findings about the history of the Chaimite Portuguese-built armoured vehicle. Those include, for example, the interest of Brazil on the vehicle and tests in this country, the operational deployment in Africa with Portuguese forces and the operation by Lebanon with updated information of the recent modernization of the local fleet.

Pedro Monteiro

Gazela, Leopardo and Pantera: The history of the familiy of Portuguese military trucks (1)

On its May issue, the Portuguese magazine Motor Clássico publishes the first part of a work covering the history of the Portuguese family of military trucks. This family of vehicles, developed by the same company which produced the Chaimite armoured vehicle, included the Gazela, Leopardo and Pantera trucks.

The work is partially based on some interviews and documents from the Chaimite research project.
The first part of the article covers the origin of this family of vehicles, the development of their projects as well as the beginning of production of the Gazela and Leopardo trucks which were later deployed by the Portuguese military on operations in Africa. The May issue also covers the projects of the Comando Mk I light vehicle and Tigre Mk II and Comando Mk III armoured vehicles with new material, informations and photos.

Pedro Monteiro

The prototype of a portuguese armoured vehicle

Do you know this vehicle? Do you know that it is the prototype of a light armoured vehicle developed in Portugal and successfully tested by the Guarda Nacional Republicana (GNR, Portuguese gendarmerie)? What was the destiny of the only two prototypes?

Find out the answers to those and other questions and many unpublished photos with the research article next month in a Portuguese magazine Topos & Clássicos...


Pedro Monteiro

Chaimite: Second article published

Following a first part published in the December issue, the Portuguese magazine Motor Clássico has published on its Jannuary issue, the second part of a work covering the history of the portuguese-built Chaimite armoured vehicle.

Among the topics covered are the operational deployment of the Chaimite fleet in the Colonial War during the 1970s and the peacekeeping operations of the 1990s, details from foreign users , the Portuguese Marines fleet inclunding the history of the Armada 90 vehicle as well as other unknown aspects and curiosities such as the current status of the Portuguese and foreign vehicles or the destiny of the vehicles and prototypes.
These two articles are the result of several months of field research which has included interviews, research on archives, military units and press as part of the Chaimite Research Project. Main references and sources are indicated in the second part.

Pedro Monteiro

Chaimite: First article published

The Portuguese magazine Motor Clássico has published on its December issue, the first part of the history of the portuguese-built Chaimite armoured vehicle which has been in operation with both Portuguese and foreign military and security forces since the 1970s.

This first article comprises topics such as the context which surround the development of the project, the first years of production, other projects developed by the Bravia-VM (e.g., the Leopardo truck and the Comando Mk III security vehicle) as well as a technical description of the Chaimite. Other topics will have further development in the second part of this work.
The article is the result of several months of field research which has included interviews, research on archives, military units and press as part of the Chaimite Research Project.

Pedro Monteiro

Chaimite Project: The exotic Armada 90

During the 1970s, the Portuguese Marines received a batch of four Chaimite V-200 armoured vehicles - which were produced by Bravia-VM in Samora Correia. One of these vehicles was known as Armada 90 because it was armed with a special system with eight rocket tubes of 88,9mm. Actually, such system was developed by portuguese military and engineers. Besides that, the turret could be armed with one Browning 12,7mm and one MG42 7,62mm machine guns. Currently, this vehicle is conserved in Alfeite.

I would like to express my gratitude to the Marines who have received me during my visit as part of the research project about the Chaimite and the Bravia-VM which I am doing.

Pedro Monteiro

Chaimite Project: A visit to Escola Prática de Cavalaria

On the first week of February, I have visited the Escola Prática de Cavalaria (EPC, Practical School of Cavalry) as part of the research which I am doing about the Chaimite and the Bravia-VM (please, check my last post). More recently, as part of the new organization of the Portuguese Army, the EPC has been moved from Santarém to Abrantes, where it was located a former infantry regiment.

Besides, this was a good opportunity to photograph some of the armoured vehicles which have served in the portuguese Cavalry (and that are preserved in Abrantes), as well as the present armoured fleet. In fact, the EPC has already in service the new Pandur II 8x8 armoured vehicle.

One of the new Pandur II 8x8 received by the EPC in the right side of the photo. In the left side, we can see a Chaimite V-600 4x4 armoured vehicle [click to enlarge].

The french-built Panhard AML was a light armoured vehicle used in the Colonial War (1961-1974) in missions such as scort and reconnaissance. Some of the vehicles were upgraded in the 1980s with a new engine and systems and, finally, redraw from service in 2001-2002 [click to enlarge].

An impressive M48 A5 Patton main battle tank in the main gate of the EPC. It was used by the 1ª Brigada Mista Independente, now known as Brigada Mecanizada (mechanized infantary). They were replaced by the M60 A3 TTS [click to enlarge].

Though Portugal does not use horse cavalry any longer, the Portuguese Army still has the tradition of learning how to ride a horse [click to enlarge].

Pedro Monteiro

Rodas de Viriato

The portuguese blog Rodas de Viriato has been publishing several material about the vehicles - civilian projects and military too - produced and designed by portuguese companies.

A Chaimite V-200 in the military exercise Pristina 072, in July 2007. Notice the one-man turret designed by Bravia.


That is, actually, the case of the Chaimite V-200, an armoured vehicle which was produced by Bravia-VM in Samora Correia. I would like to invite all the visitors to contribute for a research project about the Chaimite and the Bravia-VM which I am doing.

Pedro Monteiro