Chaimite
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Chaimite is an armored vehicle used by the Portuguese Army in the colonial war on Angola, Mozambique and Guinea-Bissau, from 1967 to 1974 when it ended. There were two versions of the Chaimite, the VBTP V-200 and the VBPM V-600. The VBTP had an 11 man capacity and was armed with one .50 Browning heavy machine-gun, while the VBPM 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 motors with 155 hp (115 kW) at 3300 rpm with automatic gear capable of taking on speeds to a maximum of 90 km/h (55 mph).
[edit] Versions
- V-200: armoured personnel carrier
- V-200 Armada 60: special variant for the Portuguese Marines of the V-200 armed with a multiple 60 mm rocket launcher
- V-300: heavy fire support with 90 mm gun
- V-400: light fire support with 20 mm cannon
- V-500: anti-tank with Swingfire or HOT missile launcher
- V-600: mortar carrier with 81 mm or 120 mm mortars
- V-700: ambulance
- V-800: communications and command vehicle
- V-900: armoured recovery vehicle
- V-1000: anti-riot with water cannon
[edit] Users
The main user of the Chaimite is the Portuguese Army, with the V-200 and V-600 versions in service. The V-500 with Swingfire missiles was in service in the 1980s but is no longer used. The Chaimite was also in service with the Portuguese Marines from the late 1960s to the early 1980s.
Present or former foreign users of the Chaimite are the Marines of Perú, the Presidential Guard of Libya, the Philippines, Lebanon and Malaysia.
