Chaimite armoured vehicle

[Pedro Monteiro]

Portuguese-built armoured vehicle based on the Cadillac Gage V-100. It is used by the Portuguese Army and several countries, such as Peru, Lebanon and Philippines.

Here are some photos of vehicles in service with the Portuguese Army.









During the 1970s, the Portuguese Marines received a batch of four Chaimite V-200 armoured vehicles. One of these vehicles was known as Armada 90 because it was armed with a special system with eight rocket tubes of 88,9mm.



More photos and information:
http://pedromonteiro-photography.blogspot.com/
http://pedromonteiro-photography.blo...mite%20project

Request: I would like to ask for the help of the members from the Philippines, Lebanon and Peru with photos and information about the operation of the Chaimite in their countries, from which few is known.



All the best,
Pedro Monteiro

[LEB101]

yea we have some of these hear . there wheels are so big in comparioson to the rest of the body

[Mathieu29]

Lebanon had received 9 V-100 Cadillac Cage between 1969 and 1971.

Portugal had delivered 30 V-200 Chaimite in 1973.



Internal Security Forces (I.S.F), Beirut, 1984.


Lebanese militia, "Guardians of the Cedars", in the early 1980.

V-200 Chaimite are currently used by the I.S.F Special Force.
Some pictures have already been posted here :
http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums...d.php?t=126638



Tripoli, june 2007.
http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums...&postcount=603





http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums...&postcount=939



A beautiful picture post by Zaher :
http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums...&postcount=939

[Pedro Monteiro]

Nice pictures! Some of which I hadn't seen yet.
Which source did you used for the 30 Chaimite V-200 por Lebannon? I am asking this for two reasons. This is, if I am not wrong, the number given by Jane's Armour and Artillery (my edition if from 2000-2001). However, I have learned to read carefully every data from the Chaimite present in this (excellent) book. Many of the data has proved to be simply incorrect.
The second reason are two photos from my archive. Those photos are from a former worker of the Bravia (company which has produced the Chaimite), and show some Bravia V-200 and one Gazela truck in the front of the assembly line building of the Bravia. In the photo (which I would like to use in an article) you can count 9 Chaimite, which would be shipped to Lebannon after this. This could be obviously the first batch (or second... third...) of vehicles delivered...

All the best,
Pedro Monteiro

[z973]

Attachment 52625

Attachment 52626

Attachment 52627
lebanese chaimite
i know that 21 are left and are refurbished by the USA
as for the number delivered its betwen 30 and 40 depends on the source

[Pedro Monteiro]

Thank your for your answer! By the way, could you indicate any of those sources? They would be very useful for my research as references for the reader.

All the best,
Pedro Monteiro

[z973]

Thank your for your answer! By the way, could you indicate any of those sources? They would be very useful for my research as references for the reader.

All the best,
Pedro Monteiro

the sources are the military balance books of diferent years i have
the book lebanese war
as for the 21 left its the american ambassy itself

[Leadership2021]

Hi all,
Here are a couple of pictures of the Peruvian’s Chaimite. And please post some more pictures, I can't find many of the Chaimite.

* Question: Are these vehicles amphibious?


http://groups.msn.com/FF-AAPeru/exponavalenelcallaoyancn.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=1596

http://groups.msn.com/FF-AAPeru/exposicinnavaloctubre2005.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=3450

best regards,

[Dark Avenger]

Like the Cadillac-Gage (Textron) V-100/150/200, the Chaimite is fully amphibious, propelled by its wheels.

[Pedro Monteiro]

Well, for being completly honest, they are not. At least if we consider the vehicle as full amphibious. For crossing small rivers, the Chaimite is just fine, and can enter on it without further modifications.

Nonetheless, the Portuguese Marines used 4 Chaimite V-200 between 1974 and the 1980s. The trials made with them quickly proved that the Chaimite was not the best solution. As I said, it had only the capability for crossing rivers, such as the Tagus (Lisbon). On that time, according the Marines who I have interviewed, that was enough: the country was living a revolution, so the vehicles only had to have the capability to land on Lisbon in the case, let's say, the land connections were cuted - in 1975, there was only one bridge connecting Lisbon and Alfeite, where the Marines unit were located.

As the result, some modifications had to be done on the Chaimite for a better cross-road performance on sand terrain, as well as in amphibious operations.

So, I suppose that Peru has found the same problems with their Chaimite...

All the best,
Pedro Monteiro

[Dark Avenger]

Fully amphibious means that it can cross rivers and lakes without special preparation (other than turning the bilge pump on). It's not Marine standard amphibious.

[Leadership2021]

Like the Cadillac-Gage (Textron) V-100/150/200, the Chaimite is fully amphibious, propelled by its wheels.

Hi there,
well, to me 'fully amphibious' means that can be thrown from a LST at some decent distance from the shore and the vehicle will make it fully loaded with troops, etc... or am I totally wrong?

Does anyone have more info about this?

It surprises me to read that it's propelled by its wheels? Usually I see some propellers in amphibious. (remember it's supposed to float).

In Perú, the Chaimite services with the Marines, I don't have info about its performance there, but I've seen some other vehicles being thrown from LSTs and heading to the beach at some 1km or so... I've never seen the Chaimite in those exercises though, I always see it on land with its double machine gun tourret and an attached recoiless gun on the roof.


Oh, and more pictures please!!!
txs!

[Dark Avenger]

Hi there,
well, to me 'fully amphibious' means that can be thrown from a LST at some decent distance from the shore and the vehicle will make it fully loaded with troops, etc... or am I totally wrong?

Does anyone have more info about this?

It surprises me to read that it's propelled by its wheels? Usually I see some propellers in amphibious. (remember it's supposed to float).

There are variations on how authors define "fully amphibious" for various vehicle classes. As I stated before, in this case it means that it can swim across rivers and lakes without special preparation. For example the M109A1B 155mm SPH is "amphibious with preparation", needing a special kit to be attached before entering the water. On the other hand, a dedicated amphibious assault vehicle is not only fully amphibious, capable of swimming long distances, but can also negotiate heavy surf and survive submergence in turbulent conditions at sea.
As the Chaimite does not have propellers or waterjets, water propulsion is effected by the motion of the wheels, the grooves on the tyre acting as grousers (cups) to displace water and create propulsive power. If the Chaimite were to be made into a sea-swimming capable vehicle (like a model of, say, the Pandur, the M113 - Arisgator- or the old and never produced in series LVTP-6, derived from the M59 APC), it would need additional flotation aids (buoyancy chambers), a trim vane, propellers or waterjets and, of course, air intake and exhaust system modifications to prevent water ingestion in heavy seas.
I hope this helps.

[Pedro Monteiro]

The water speed of the Chaimite is around 7 km/h. For crossing the Tagus river, around 4-5km, the Marines usually needed about one hour, specially because it has some (small) turbulence.

In the case of Peru, I believe that for landing operations from the LST they use the BMR-600.

All the best,
Pedro Monteiro

[LLAPAN_ATIC]

These vehicles are very useful for our force of infantry Marines