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

Brigada de Intervenção: A new combat brigade for the new century

The April issue of Fuerzas Militares del Mundo brings a comphreensive article about the Brigada de Intervenção (Intervention Brigade, the medium brigade of the Portuguese Army) focusing its structure, missions and equipments and challenges that this combat brigade, created in 2006, is facing. Special attention is given to the Pandur II armoured vehicle programme which, in the mid term, will constitute the backbone of the brigade.

MAGAZINE DISTRIBUTED IN: Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Chile, Peru and USA.

Pedro Monteiro

Cassiopeia: Surveilling the seas at fast speed

The February-March issue of the Revista de Marinha publishes a report of a mission onboard the NRP Cassiopeia, a fast patrol craft from the Portuguese Navy. The work covers not only the daily routine of the crew but also some extraordinary missions of the Cassiopeia, such as the scort of the Russian cruiser Moskva. Comprehensive data on this class of ships and their missions is also presented.

This ship is part of the Argos class which entered in service in 1991. Its primary mission is fishing surveillance aimed at combating illegal fishing in the Portuguese coast.

The report also signals my first collaboration with this leading-magazine in Portugal.

Pedro Monteiro

Monte Real: Home of the Portuguese F-16 fleet

The May and June issues of the Spanish magazine War Heat have published the first and second part of an article which I wrote together with Juan Carlos Pando (you can also visit his webpage) about the Portuguese F-16 fleet.

The article covers the history of the air base of Monte Real, where the two F-16 squadrons of the Portuguese Air Force are located, as well as the operational life of the Fighting Falcon with Portuguese colors. The MLU programme as well as new equipments, weapon systems and international exercises are also mentioned in this article.

Pedro Monteiro

EHM: The Portuguese Naval Aviation

The May issue of the Spanish magazine Fuerzas Militares del Mundo published a new article focusing the Esquadrilha de Helicópteros da Marinha (EHM, Navy Helicopter Squadron).

This new work brings updated information about the EHM, namely the future of the fleet, new detachments for the new Bartolomeu Dias frigates or the recent deployment with the Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) which is conducting an anti-piracy naval operation off the coast of Somalia. Moreover, it covers technical aspects such as the new equipments and weapons systems for the Super Lynx fleet.

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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

EHM: Sailing across the skies

The August issue of the Portuguese magazine "Vega" (you can check their website here) brings a report about the Esquadrilha de Helicópteros da Marinha (EHM, Navy Helicopter Squadron) as part of my collaboration with such publication.

Such work includes images from the Instrex 08 military exercise as well as several details about the future of the squad. Besides, the articles from the magazine include a full English version.

Pedro Monteiro

Cassiopeia: Protecting the law on the waters

The NRP Cassiopeia is a fast patrol craft from the Argos class which entered in service in 1991. Its primary mission is fishing surveillance aimed at combating illegal fishing in the Portuguese coast.


Last July, I have embarked on this vessel as part of a report.

Pedro Monteiro

Portuguese Army in analysis

The last edition of the Portuguese magazine Segurança & Defesa (check the website) brings an analysis of the changes that have been occurring in the Portuguese Army. The main focus is the new organic structure of the military branch.

Such work presents and updates some of the data of my previous work for Fuerzas Militares del Mundo - published in November and December of 2007.

Pedro Monteiro

CTOE: Portuguese Special Operations

The second part of an article about the Centro de Tropas de Operações Especiais (CTOE, Center of Special Operations Troops) has been published in the June issue of Fuerzas Militares del Mundo (www.fuerzasmilitares.com).


MAGAZINE DISTRIBUTED IN: Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Chile, Peru and USA.

Pedro Monteiro

CTOE: Portuguese Special Operations

The first part of an article about the Centro de Tropas de Operações Especiais (CTOE, Center of Special Operations Troops) had been published in the May issue of Fuerzas Militares del Mundo (www.fuerzasmilitares.com).

This article is the result of a previous visit to the unit, located in Lamego, north of Portgal. The CTOE, created in 1960, is now part of the Brigada de Reacção Rápida (Quick Reaction Brigade).


MAGAZINE DISTRIBUTED IN: Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Chile, Peru and USA.

Pedro Monteiro

Blade runners over the sea

The Esquadrilha de Helicópteros da Marinha (EHM, Navy Helicopter Squadron), created in 1993, operates the Super Lynx fleet of the Portuguese Navy. These helicopters are used with the Vasco da Gama class frigates (Meko 200PN type). Although it is a young unit, the EHM has already in her curriculum vitae real operations, like the Non-combatant Evacuation Operation (NEO) in Guinea-Bissau in 1998.


I have flew with them in last February as part of a report for the portuguese magazine "Vega" (you can check their website here).

Pedro Monteiro

New article about the Portuguese Army (II)

As previous noted, the December issue of the spanish defence magazine Fuerzas Militares del Mundo (www.fuerzasmilitares.com) publishes the second part of an article about the Portuguese Army.
In resume, the article comprises both an analysis of the present equipment and a review of the main programmes for new weapon systems (such as the Pandur II armoured vehicle or the Leopard 2A6 main battle tank).


MAGAZINE DISTRIBUTED IN: Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Chile, Peru and USA.

Pedro Monteiro

New article about the Portuguese Army

The November issue of the spanish defence magazine Fuerzas Militares del Mundo (www.fuerzasmilitares.com) publishes the first part of an article about the Portuguese Army.


On the one hand, the first part covers the structure and missions of the military branch. On the other other hand, the December issue will cover the equipment and weapon systems operated by the Army.
This work is, in fact, the final result of several reports which I have been doing for the past few months - some of them are presented here.

MAGAZINE DISTRIBUTED IN: Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Chile, Peru and USA.

Pedro Monteiro

Article about the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower

As the result of the visit, organized by the United States Embassy, to the nuclear aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), I have published an article which on the Portuguese Air Force official magazine, the Mais Alto.


Pedro Monteiro

Pedro Monteiro: Photography and Reports

Please notice that all images presented on this page are copyrighted. Work requests, questions or comments can be sent to the e-mail address presented on the right side of the page.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR ::

Pedro Monteiro has been covering defense issues and the Portuguese armed forces since 2001 with works published in Portuguese and international defense publications. Among others, he has published works and reports on the ortuguese armed forces, multinational military exercises and Portuguese-built military vehicles.

More recently, in 2011, he published

Presently, he is the Portuguese correspondent of the magazine Fuerzas Militares del Mundo (Spain, www.fuerzasmilitares.com) and the website Defesa Net (Brazill, www.defesanet.com.br) In addition, he has published articles and photographs in Tankograd Militärfahrzeug (Germany) and Tecnologia & Defesa (Brazil). He is a regular contributor for Portuguese publications, including some targeted to large audiences, having been published by Revista de Marinha, Motor Clássico, Segurança & Defesa, Vega, and Mais Alto, among others.

PHOTOGRAPHIC EQUIPMENT ::

Nikon D7000
Nikon D50 camera

Sigma EF-500 DG ST flash

Tamron 17-50mm 2.8 XR Di II lens

Sigma 70-200mm 2.8 DG MACRO lens

Zenitar 16mm F2.8 fisheye lens

Nikon 50mm F1.8D high aperture lens
Kenko PRO 300 1.4x