Bernardini MB-3 Tamoyo

Bernardini MB-3 Tamoyo History

The original M41 Walker Bulldog light tank was a product of American WWII experience. Design work on the tank began in 1947 when its prototype was named "T37". Production of the series began in 1951, and by the end of the Korean War (1950-1953), the M41 completely replaced another US Army light tank in service at the time, the WWII-era M24 Chaffee. The M41 lived a healthy operational life, with thousands produced and used by more than a dozen pro-American countries around the world, including Brazil. The Brazilian Army has operated approximately 300 production series "B" and "C" M41 Walker Bulldog light tanks since 1953.

During this period, several domestic MBT projects came to light to secure lucrative defense deals with the Brazilian government. The Bernardini MB-3 "Tamoyo" main battle tank developed in the 1980s is one such attempt - a product of Cold War experience.

In the early 1970s, the Brazilian company Bernardini S/A Industria e Comercio was tasked with modernizing the aging M41 fleet, a program aimed at bringing the A and B series production models to the new government "C"- Defaults. While the program somewhat expanded the original M41's use on the battlefield, Bernardini's focus was to push for a larger reinterpretation of the original American design.

In fact, the idea of ??developing a main battle tank from the original light tank chassis arose because light tanks had little value on the modern Cold War battlefield - where the MBT is now the undisputed king. The new and ambitious MBT program was launched in 1978, when Bernardini engineers worked to make the most of the outdated M41 frame within reason and economy.

As a result, the M41's turret and hull have been completely redesigned for this role. The hull is now equipped with angled fairings to better deflect incoming enemy fire and shells. The vehicle sits on a suspended wheel system (torsion bar) that includes six wheels on one side of the track. Glacis boards are nicely sloped from two board sections at the front of the hull. The hull structure is flat, with a low side profile and is well contoured by glacis panels.

The upper part of the track was protected by "rock" side armor, these plates stuck to the sides of the hull. The engine compartment has flat surfaces to compensate for the rear overhang of the turret. The turret itself is centered on the tub roof and has sloping sides and a flat top.

In front of the position there was a slightly raised commander's cupola with a machine gun slot. The barrel is attached to the front turret fairing and hangs from the front hull in traditional main battle tank fashion. The new tank will be piloted by four people, consisting of a driver, gunner, commander and loader. Power will be provided by a 500hp Saab-Scania DSI-14 diesel engine or a 730hp Detroit Diesel 8V-92TA diesel engine, depending on customer preference. This will allow for a top speed of 67 to 70 kilometers per hour and a range of up to 550 kilometers.

This powerplant is mated to an Allison CD-500 Mechanic or General Electric HMPT-500 automatic transmission system. The NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) crew support system is optional. This vehicle can summon 8 smoke grenades using the Autogenous Smoke Screen effect.

A prototype appeared soon in 1982, called the "X-30", which was armed with a rather limited 76mm M32 main gun, the M41 Walker Bulldog. From 1983 to 1985, nine more prototypes were fitted with more appropriate MBT 90mm guns elsewhere - although there has been a clear move to the class-leading 105mm L7A3 caliber around the world. The 90mm gun is an in-house product developed by Bernardini and some 68x90mm rounds can be stored onboard.

Only the eleventh and last prototype was equipped with a more powerful 105mm main gun system, which appeared in 1987. Secondary armament comes in the form of a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun and a 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine gun - traditional defensive weapons on any modern tank.

The ammunition quantities for the machine guns were 3,000 and 600 rounds, respectively.

Evaluation of the prototype continued for several years, until the design was eventually also named MB-3 "Tamoyo". Brazilian authorities are interested in its development, but budget constraints are always an issue. Native designs are always more expensive than sourcing "off the shelf" examples. To make matters worse, the rival company Engesa also offered their EE-T1 "Osorio" MBT around 1987, competing directly with the Bernardini design.

Perhaps the final blow to these two domestic attempts came from the abundance of second-hand tanks on foreign markets. This route proved to be the most economical, and the Brazilians knew what they were getting with these machines.

As a result, the authorities decided to buy 250 and 91 batches of German Leopard 1 and American M60A3 TTS (Tank Thermal Sight) MBTs respectively, forcing Bernardini and Engelsa to look elsewhere for potential buyers who were caught by uncontrollable The power sale is doomed to fail. Bernardini didn't immediately give up hope of selling Tamoyo in foreign markets, but interest in the genre waned.

As a result, Tamoyo was not procured by either party for mass production - its legacy is secured by only 11 completed prototypes.

A self-propelled anti-aircraft (SPAA) variant of the Tamoyo tank is also planned, which will utilize the Tamoyo's tracked undercarriage and hull, while the turret will be replaced with 2 x Bofors 40mm L/70 guns. As a track system, the vehicle will have roughly the same off-road capability as parent company Tamoyo.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

68 x 90mm projectile or 56 x 105mm projectile

550 x 12.7mm ammo

3,500x7.62mm ammo

8 x Smoke Grenade

Changes