Bravia Chaimite

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Bravia Chaimite
Portuguese Chaimite V200 during Exercise Iberian Resolve, 2002.
Type	Armoured personnel carrier
Place of origin	Portugal
Service history
In service	1967–present
Used by	See Operators
Wars	Portuguese Colonial War Carnation Revolution Lebanese Civil War 1982 Lebanon War Moro conflict Internal conflict in Peru 2006 Lebanon War 2007 Lebanon conflict 2008 conflict in Lebanon Libyan Civil War (2011–present)
Production history
Manufacturer	Bravia
No. built	over 170
Variants	See Variants
Specifications
Mass	6.800 to 8500 kg
Length	5.6 m
Width	2.26 m
Height	2.39 m
Crew	1+10
Armor	up to 7.62 mm
Main armament	depend of variant
Secondary armament	depend of variant
Engine	diesel engine 155 hp (115 kW) at 3300 rpm
Payload capacity	804 kg
Transmission	automatic gearbox
Operational range	804 km
Maximum speed	99 km/h (62 mph) 4.8 km/h on water
Steering system	rack & pinnion non assisted

The Bravia Chaimite is an armoured vehicle with all wheel drive axles built by the Portuguese company Bravia and used by the Portuguese Army in the Portuguese colonial wars in Angola, Mozambique and Portuguese Guinea, from 1967 to 1974 when it ended. The Chaimite was originally an unlicensed derivative of the Cadillac Gage Commando assembled and later produced in Portugal, with a number of improvements and technical modifications.^[1]

There were two versions of the Chaimite, the VBTP V-200 and the VBPM V-600. The VBTP (Viatura Blindada de Transporte de Pessoal, Armoured Personnel Transport Vehicle), had an 11-man capacity and was armed with one .50 Browning heavy machine-gun, while the VBPM, (Viatura Blindada Porta-morteiro, Armoured Mortar Carrier Vehicle), had only a 4-man capacity and was armed with one Browning .30 heavy machine-gun and one 81 mm mortar. These vehicles had diesel engines with 155 hp (115 kW) at 3300 rpm with automatic gear capable of taking on speeds to a maximum of 99 km/h (62 mph). The armour of this APC was capable of defeating rounds up to 7.62 mm NATO.

The Chaimite was gradually phased out of Portuguese Army service since 2008 and replaced by the Austrian Pandur II 8x8 APC,^[2] though the last operational Chaimite armoured cars were only retired in 2016.^[3]