Armored vehicles and reconnaissance vehicles Bravia Portuguese company TRACE

Bravia Mk I V-200 in the peacekeeping force in Bosnia

The 60-s developed a line of floating armored vehicles 4x4, which were developed by Joao Donas-Botto to meet the needs of the Portuguese armed forces.

The first prototype, made in 1963, was named Chaimite 4x4; The total number of machines produced in various versions was about 600 pieces.

The original Chaimite is now known as the Bravia Mk I 4x4 and was manufactured by Trading Company & Consulting Engineers (TRACE), which in turn was part of the holding company Bravia Group SA and Ordnance Engineering.

In addition to the machines of the Bravia Mk I 4x4 series, models in the 6x6 and 8x8 configuration were developed, but their production has not begun. All these machines are fully amphibious, driven by the rotation of the wheels on the water.

The base BTR received the designation V-200. As far as we know, in recent years, the production of armored personnel carriers and reconnaissance vehicles of the Bravia series in Portugal has not been conducted.

It is known that 92 vehicles for Portugal include 15 vehicles in the reconnaissance version and 77 in the BTR version. According to the results of the competition, which took place at the beginning of 2005, Portugal placed an order with Steyr-Daimler-Puch (at that time), supplying a total of 260 Pandur II 8x8 machines. Of these, 240 was intended for the army and 20 for the marines. They replaced the remaining armored personnel carriers and variants of the TRACE Bravia family.

The number of vehicles of the Bravia family that is in service: Lebanon 60, Libya (status unknown), Peru (15, Marines, V-200), Philippines (20), Portugal (46, recently replaced by Pandur 8xXNNXX).

V-200

The body of the BTR Bravia 4x4 all-welded, made of ballistic armor. The driver sits in front, on the right sits the second member of the crew, usually this is the commander. They have two-part manhole covers that open sideways.

The driver and the commander have viewing devices, between which there is one embrasure for firing.

On each side there is a double door, the upper part opens back, and the lower part leans down as a step. There are two viewing devices and two embrasures on each side between the nose and the side door. The main armament is installed directly between the driver and the commander.

The power unit is installed in the rear part on the left and is separated from the habitable compartment by a refractory partition. Access to the power unit for maintenance is carried out through two sunroofs and one hatch on the port side. The engine compartment is equipped with a fire extinguisher operated by the driver.

The left stern door opening to the left has one viewing unit and one embrasure for firing. On the roof to the right of the engine compartment there is an access block that opens to the front and underneath on the right side there is a viewing block and an embrasure.

Engine power is transmitted to the transmission, transfer case and, finally, to the front and rear axles. Two-stage axles with fully unloaded axles with locking differentials. Wheels with bulletproof tires or anti-bumper inserts.

A hydraulic winch with a pull force of 4530 kg is installed in the front of the machine, a rope with a diameter of 11 mm and a length of 38,1 meter has a maximum tensile strength of 8090 kg. Optional equipment includes passive night vision devices and various weapons installations.

The Bravia car is floating, driven in water by rotating its wheels.

The V-200 armored vehicle is equipped with a single-turret developed by Bravia, armed with two 7,62-mm machine guns, two 5,56-mm machine guns or one 7,62-mm machine gun and one 12,7-mm machine gun M2 HB. The actuators of the tower are manual, the rotation in azimuth is circular, the elevation angles range from -15 ° to + 50 °.

In the version of the installation in the tower of two 7,62-mm machine guns, the ammunition is 500 cartridges, the 250 on the machine gun plus a reserve of 9000 cartridges is placed in the machine.

The turret has one solid manhole cover, which opens to the rear, for pointing machine guns on the left side there are viewing instruments and a M28C day periscope sight. If necessary, the tower can be equipped with a five-pipe launcher anti-personnel, anti-tank, smoke, lighting or incendiary grenades. On each side of the tower, four launchers of 88-mm missiles can be installed; start-up is done from the inside of the machine, but the installation is recharged outside.

Various optional systems can be installed, including air conditioning, fire detection and extinguishing systems.

Bravia Mk I with a single turret armed with a twin machine gun

Bravia Mk I V-200 in the service of the Peruvian army

options

V-300 reconnaissance vehicle
The crew of the car is four or five people, it can be installed single or double tower. The single tower from Oerlikon is armed with an 20-mm KAA-001 cannon. It is worth noting that the production of this tower was discontinued several years ago.

The twin turrets, which can be mounted on a V-300 model, are armed with an 20-mm cannon (100 finished shots and 300 in styling), an 7,62-mm machine gun coupled with it (500 ready-made cartridges) and an 7,62 anti-aircraft machine gun (500 ready-made cartridges) , 3000 ammunition for machine guns packed in the case. Other single and twin turrets with 20-mm guns, including anti-aircraft turrets with two 20-mm guns, are available for this vehicle.

V-400 reconnaissance vehicle
It can be equipped with various twin turrets, currently on the market, armed with an 90-mm cannon, an 7,62-mm machine gun paired with it and an 7,62-mm anti-aircraft gun.

V-500
Machine control and communication.

Mortar conveyor V-600
An 4-mm / 4-mm mortar is installed on the 81X82 machine, an 6-mm mortar is installed on the 6x120 configuration machine and a 8-mm mortar on the 8x160 machine. There is no exact information on the prototype production of the 6x6 and 8x8 machines.

V-700 armored vehicle
Mobile ATGM armed with ATGM HOT, TOW or MILAN. In the mass production of the car did not arrive.

V-800 armored vehicle
Sanitary option without weapons.

V-900 armored vehicle
Evacuation option. The 4x4 model has a winch, whereas on the 6x6 and 8x8 models a crane installation with a maximum carrying capacity of 5000 kg can be installed.

V-1000 armored vehicle
Anti-riot machine, can be installed various weapons and equipment, including water cannon.

Bravia Mk I with SS-11 ATGM
Portugal installed missile launchers of SS-4 anti-tank guided missiles on several of its Bravia Mk I 4x11 machines.

Bravia Mk II 6x6
Further prototypes in production did not go.

Bravia Mk III 8x8
In general, like the model Bravia Mk II 6x6. Production of this model has not begun.

Specifications of the Bravia armored personnel carrier

Materials used:
www.exercito.pt
www.militaryfactory.com
www.aw.my.com
www.only-carz.com
www.timawa.net
www.military-today.com
www.globalsecurity.org
www.operacional.pt
www.wikipedia.org
en.wikipedia.org

Comments

[tchoni]

And the car, judging by the photographs, is pleased with the visibility of the turret. And the rest, as it seems to me, is an ordinary armored personnel carrier. No more, but no less.

[vodolaz]

Interestingly, how reasonable is it to hang up a spare wheel in front?

[Maaslo Sallonen]

Especially if you can set it on fire in battle. Look at the reaction of the crew.

[tchoni]

But there is a chance that through the spare tire, something will not reach the crew.

[Volga Cossack]

something painfully Cadillac Commando reminded me of this car ........

[wanderer_032]

So that's for sure he is. Made under license.

[Volga Cossack]

this one.........

[godofwar6699]

commando elite

[cosmos111]

Quote: Volga Cossack

this one.........

Quote: godofwar6699

commando elite

The first prototype was built at 1963, and mass production of the V-1964 / model series was started at 100.

Armored personnel carriers Cadillac Gage V-100/150/200 "Commando".
Technology Transfer - EVERYTHING.

[godofwar6699]

Cadillac gage commando scout

[godofwar6699]

proven concept

[Verdun]

Technology Transfer - EVERYTHING.

When they begin to exchange designs and technologies, it means that they, these designs and technologies, are successful. And when you read this article and look at the photo, thoughts come to mind about how necessary a modern replacement of the BRDM is for our army. And then all the "Tigers", yes "Lynx" ...

[tchoni]

You know, the authors of this concept have generally abandoned it. In favor of a universal hamer.

[Verdun]

abandoned her. In favor of a universal hamer.

The universal "Hummer" cannot swim, and Russia, like Europe, hardly resembles a desert. HMMWVs are gradually being withdrawn from the US Armed Forces and the Pentagon is in no hurry to order new ones. Machines of this class can be considered only as an addition to the BRDM, but not as a replacement.

[tchoni]

Shozh, are you clinging to this swimming so ?! Can not swim! - end of the world!. Hitler didn’t know how to swim at all, but the engineering service was adjusted - he came to Moscow, scoundrel. Have you seen the river ?! the coast is a swamp! not a swamp, so a cliff. Right now, finding a bridge is easier than convenient entry and exit. But the water mover has to be carried constantly. And the coffin-shaped form depresses the transport function very much, providing no protection against anything other than a gunner. And, armor for the entire volume has to be dragged constantly.
With a hamer, it’s easier: put hosh armor, don’t put hosh, load a hosh hosh, don’t load a hosh. In terms of patency on soft soils - they are monopenisual.

[Verdun]

monopenisual

Is this, in the sense, ambivalent? Actually, I prefer Russian words, for example - no difference or the same. Vous comprenez?

Hamer is simpler: hosh put armor, hosh do not put

Absolutely amateurish opinion. If the vehicle’s transmission can withstand multi-ton armor, then in the absence of armor you are dragging absolutely unnecessary excess weight of this transmission. This is the first. And secondly, what kind of gouging should your opponent be in order not to destroy and control bridges and crossings?

Have you seen the river ?! the coast is a swamp! not a swamp, so a cliff.

I myself am an avid fisherman. And I get to the banks of many rivers not even by a crossover, but by an ordinary passenger car. There would be a desire. But I have no desire to build rafts and equip ferries, since this is an extremely troublesome business. As for the crossing of water obstacles, I recommend that you read the book "La Tortuga". There, the company drove all of South America and sailed on a Ford GPA during the Second World War. I think this trick would hardly have worked on the Hummer.

[Lester7777]

Developed, or creatively rethought? Very much resembles an essay on the theme of Cadillac Gage Commando.

[Type 63]

Thank you for the article. And these cars did not participate in the "carnation revolution"?

[Div Divich]

They tried to make a universal machine for all occasions of military life. But highly specialized ones would be much better. For example, what is the point of sailing to the cars that accompany non-floating cars ... For reconnaissance, you need special equipment (recording devices, scanners, microphones for wiretapping, photos, videos, beacons, drones), and there is no place for equipment in this machine.

For patrolling and escort you need other cars, for example SUVs ...
For reconnaissance, you need minibuses with reconnaissance equipment inside, for example, armored personnel carriers, you can use a van in your rear in general.