Bravia Chaimite V-300 (S530)

ChieftainWarrior · September 21, 2024, 7:52am

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Chaimite V-300 (S530)

TL;DR: Portuguese unlicensed Cadillac Gage V-150 with turret housing dual 20mm autocannons

History
In the early 1960s, Portugal felt a growing need for a modern wheeled APC, to be used to in Africa. At the time, Portugal was in a period called the Estado Novo (New State), led by dictator António de Oliveira Salazar. A number of independence movements in Portugal’s African colonies began, culminating in the Portuguese Colonial War (1961-1974).

Portugal reached out to America, seeking the license for the Cadillac Gage Commando V-100. America did not authorise the license, as Portugal intended to use them outside the scope of NATO, of which it was a founding member. In March 1967, the company “BRAVIA SARL, Sociedade Luso-Brasileira de Viaturas e Equipamentos” was founded and plans were soon drawn up for the ‘Chaimite’. As Cadillac Gage did not provide Portugal with the license, Portugal resorted to using information from two American engineers who illegally provided technical data to Bravia.

The first prototype was produced soon after, and later that year, the Portuguese Army ordered 27 vehicles. By 1971, only 18 had been produced. The first Chaimites were sent to Guinea for testing at the end of 1970 – in two forms. Four were in the APC form (V-200), and one was in a light tank form, with a 90mm Mecar gun in a two-man turret designed by Bravia. Named the V-400 (and later V-400 Mk. I), this vehicle saw testing, and later was returned to Portugal, where it remained in Bravia’s storage until its closure.

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Left: V-200 during testing in Guinea; Right: Brochure for V-400 Mk. I, photo taken during testing in Guinea

Sometime before 1979, Bravia mounted the French SAMM S530 anti-aircraft turret on the V-200, acquiring the designation V-300. The V-300 was meant to mount smaller calibre weapons than the V-400, and a number of other turrets were proposed, including a Bravia design with a 20mm cannon, an Oerlikon GAD-AOA turret with a 20mm cannon, or an ESD TA-20 turret with dual 20mm cannons. No images or details regarding these modifications are available, and it seems only the SAMM S530 was mounted on the Chaimite.

Later, in April 1983, the French D90 turret – the same as on the AML-90 Lynx (not to be confused with the H90 on the original AML-90) – was mounted on the Chaimite, acquiring the designation V-400 Mk. II. This was also marketed, but like the Mk. I, never went further than a single prototype.

While the V-300 and V-400s never saw service, the V-200 saw active service in a number of countries, like Portugal, the Philippines, Lebanon, Libya and Peru. Bravia modified the V-200s with a number of different armaments, like with ATGMs and rocket launchers.

In 1989, Portugal received 15 V-150 Commando’s equipped with a 90mm Cockerill cannon. These are often mistaken online for Chaimite V-400s, but Portugal never appears to have mounted this same turret on the Chaimite. While the Chaimite and V-150 are almost identical, one key external difference is that the Chaimite has three side windows, whereas the V-150 only has two.

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V-150 in Portuguese service, NOT a Chaimite

Characteristics
The turret of the V-300 is the French SAMM S530. It houses twin 20mm GIAT M621 cannons. These can fire HEF-I and API-T rounds – the latter (in-game) can penetrate 40mm of armour at 10m at 0°. It can fire all 20x102mm ammunition, and may have access to higher-penetration AP rounds. The cannons fire at 750rpm each, for a combined fire-rate of 1500rpm. The guns can elevate to +75°/-10°, at a speed of 40°/second. The turret rotates a full 360° at a speed of 80°/second.

SAMM S530 Details

Screenshot 2024-09-13 at 14.55.58

The hull of the Chaimite is all-welded steel, with the driver and normally the commander at the front. Its armour is very thin – the hull front has 6.35mm at 75° on the upper section, and 7.94mm at 40° on the lower section. The thickest section of armour is the hull floor, at 9.35mm. The vehicle has a Chrysler 361 M75 V-8 petrol engine, delivering 210hp (or 191hp, sources differ) at 4000rpm. The V-200 APC variant has a weight of 7.3t, and as such, a power-to-weight ratio of 28.76 hp/t. The S530 turret weighs 1.7t, and therefore the V-300 weighs 9t and has a hp/t ratio of 23.3. Along with a manual transmission with 5 forward gears and 1 reverse gear, this allows the Chaimite to have a maximum speed of 99km/h, a reverse speed of 13.7km/h, and 7km/h in water. The V-300 has 4 crew – commander, gunner, driver and radio operator.

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Artists impression of the V-300

Conclusion
The Chaimite V-300 (S530) would be a potent SPAA for a future e.g. Iberian tree, or potentially added to the US (Cadillac Gage copy) or French (SAMM turret) trees as a premium. It would probably sit at a BR of 6.3 – compared to SPAA like the TPK 6.41 that also has dual 20mm cannons with similar armour penetration at 5.7, it has shorter turning radius (and smaller profile), improved gun depression, an enclosed turret and smoke launchers.

Specifications
Armament

20mm GIAT M621
- 750rpm each, 1500rpm combined
- Ammunition:
  - API-T
    - 40mm at 10m at 0°
  - HE-I
Vertical guidance
- +75°/-10°
- 40°/second
Turret rotation speed
- 80°/second

Armour

Hull front upper – 6.35mm at 75°
Hull front lower – 7.94mm at 40°
Hull sides upper – 6.35mm at 30°
Hull sides lower – 7.94mm at 10°
Hull top – 6.35mm
Hull floor – 9.35mm
Hull rear – 6.35mm at 30°
Turret – 7-15mm all around

Mobility

Maximum speed
- 99km/h off-road
  - 1st gear, 13.7km/h
  - 2nd gear, 22.6km/h
  - 3rd gear, 37.9km/h
  - 4th gear, 62km/h
  - 5th gear, 99km/h
  - Reverse gear, 13.7km/h
- 7km/h in water
Weight
- 9t
Engine power
- 210hp at 4000rpm, Chrysler 361 M75 V-8
- 23.3hp/t