Hello Rod, how you doing?
Well, i wish i could know better about our mighty tank
but i will try to help you out with what i found on the web
:
A Brief History
In the decade of 80, the Brazilian Army was recognizing the outdated veterans M-41 Walker Bulldog, what were constituting the dorsal bone of
Armored Brazilian Army. These vehicles, inclusive, had already been
updated (new motor Scania, reinforcement of armor-plating and cannon of 90mm.) by Bernardini, a enterprise manufacturer of safes.
With the know-how acquired during the reform of the M-41, the Bernardini
proposed to the Brazilian Army the construction of a new armoured vehicle, what was come to call "Tamoio", with the construction of some prototypes. The Brazilian Army determined a competition for the construction
of this new vehicle and the ENGESA was call.
The MB-3 "Tamoyo"
With possession of specifications of the project, ENGESA thought that to the new vehicle, to be economicaly viable should answer, also, to the specifications of other countries' Armies.
The Project Osório was born.
To make a MBT vehicle viable the ENGESA firstly it tried, in 1983, associations with enterprises traditional manufacturers of war material, like the French GIAT, British Vickers and German Krauss-Maffei/Reinmetal. This attempt was due to the lack of know-how of ENGESA in the manufacture of this kind of vehicles, so up to that time their experience was with vehicles like the "Cascavel" (rattlesnake) and the "Urutu" (viper), that reached great success of sells in the South America, and Middle East contries like Libya and Iraq.
The ENGESA went round this problem resorting straight to the suppliers of parts of the manufactured vehicles from the traditional enterprises, acquiring it, in this way, necessary up-to-the-minute technology for the execution of the Project Osório.
Here it is important to point out the fact's chronology: the Osório began to be conceived in decade of 80's and with that it was benefited of approximately 10 years of technological development on his contestants (M-1 Abrams, Challenger, AMX-32/40, etc.), incorporating in his project boarded technology and being drawn totally in CAD-CAM, up to that time a novelty in terms of technology here in Brazil.
The EE-T1 Osório in the CAD-CAM.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MightyRhinox
I put this together when I needed a little break from a the decals on a wingy thing. This is trumpeter's kit of Brazil's homegrown MBT, it can be built as either a T2 or a T1 (only the gun is different, i think :? )
|
The project was predicting two different versions: one to match the specifications of Brazilian army and other one for export, already with sight of huge contracts in petrodollars.
Both versions would be similar in terms of chassis: motor MWM TD8 834, transmission ZF LSG 3000, Dunlop hydropneumatics suspension, Diehl 234 tracks and composed armor-plating (what, in case of Brazilian version, it should be more simple, to reduce weigh, to be able to cross them bridges of our country).
However, the main weapon and the shooting control systems would be quite different. The Brazilian version would be equipped with a cannon based on the consecrated British L-7, of 105 mm, wich used Belgian technology for shooting control. For night time combats it would use a simple system, through enlargement of brightness.
Prototype of Vickers MK 7. Note the resemblance of the turret.
Yet, the version intended for the international markets was constituted of a French GIAT cannon of 120 mm, with a stabilization system to be able to shoot targets in movement and to distances superiors to the adversaries. For nocturnal combats, the Osório was counting with a termal system. In terms of armor-plating, this version was able to resist 105 mm APDFS ammo shots and it was already in development an armor-plating to resist shots of the same type, however of 120mm. Still, the exprot version had a defensive laser detetor, protection against nuclear, bacteriologic and chemical weapons, APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) and air conditioning.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MightyRhinox
There is next to no information about this beasty, but the T2 actually beat out both the Abrams and Leopard2 in Saudi trials. Unfortunately the gulf war broke out and Saudi Arabia was forced to buy the Abrams in exchange for protection from the U.S.A. Sadly this meant the T2 never saw production and the company who made it went broke (they had had no backing from the Brazillian government for the project) 300 of the T1 were produced and are still in use in Brazil today.
|
The prototype destined to export had his baptism in tests carried out in Saudi Arabia in the summer of 1985,
record time for the development of a MBT, being taken into account that the beginning of the project was in the year of 1983.
The EE-T1 Al Fahd (Osório P.1) on the Saudi Arabia version, 1985.
The tests were done with the Challenger MkI, having the Osório surpassed the British tank in every tests, with wide edge of advantage. Although the results have impressed the analysts and Saudis authorities, as well as the attention of the worldwide market for the Osório, none request of purchase was done in that year.
In 1987, Saudi Arabia promoted a new international competition to replace theirs M-60 and AMX-30. To competition was predicting the purchase of 620
MBT.
In this opportunity have competed with Osório, the M-1 Abrams, the AMX-40 (updated version of the AMX-30, already with a 120mm gun, just like Osório's), and again the Challenger. All the contestants got 2 vehicles each for the test, but ENGESA took only 1 example of the Osório, due to the finacial difficulties for which the enterprise already was going through. Such an attitude was demonstrate the reliability in performance of the vehicle.
The P.1, first version in obstacle test in Saudi Arabia, 1987. Note the exaustor above the last road wheel.
Either Osório and M-1 Abrams were approved in the tests carried out, surpassing it from far away AMX-40 and the Challenger. However, in tests of shot and autonomy, the Osório surpassed the M-1 Abrams by far. In the fulfilled tests of shooting, the Osório was the only one to reach a target parked at 4.000 m. Also a test was carried out with movable targets to distances of 1.500, 2.000 and 2.500 m, with a total of 12 shots, being 6 carried out by the tank contrie's crew and 6 for a crew of the Saudi Army.
Of 12 proposed targets, the Osório put 8 right, the M-1 Abrams put 5 right
and the AMX-40 and the Challenger only 1.
Rare photo showing the vehicle crews of all contestants in Saudi Arabia, 1987. Left to right, Osório, AMX-40, Challenger and M1A1 Abrams
In the test of autonomy, Osório went through a distance in line straight of 400 km, surpassing his contestants.
In the next year, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates invited ENGESA to participate of one competition together with the Italian OFV 40, manufactured by Oto-Melara that detains the license of manufacture of the vehicles Leopard I and AMX-40 for the Italian Army. Again Osório was superior.
The EE-T1 Osório during tests in Abu-Dhabi, 1988, when he beat the Italian C-1 Ariete.
In this opportunity, a funny fact took place: the OFV-40, after his motor
was on fire, it was going to be left in halve of the desert. There, a Brazilian crew, hitched an extension shaft and pulled the tank out of the dune in
what was bogged down and brought it to the Arab HQ.
In spite of the success in both international competitions, there were no requests of production.
Pressures realized by the US government American on Saudi Arabia, alleging that Brazil was a country that did not respect international agreements and that was marketing with countries considered enemies of the Saudi monarchy, like Iraq and Libya, made the Arabs to not make the deal making more difficult the financial situation of ENGESA.
The fact of the Brazilian Army did not have any Osório at the time, for the lack of money for the acquisition, mattered greatly so that other countries were not interested by the project. The Army send Gel. Leônidas Pires Gonçalves, to Saudi Arabia to try to accelerate the signature of such an expected and wanted contract. This personal pledge was due to an agreement between the ENGESA and the Brazilian Army of which to each 10 vehicles supplied internationally, 1 would be destined to the Brazilian Army.
The lack of requests for the Osório and the high investment to the evelopment of the project (18 Million Dollars) took ENGESA to ask liquidation agreement in March of 1990, though the negotiations with Saudi Arabia were still continuing. With the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq, in June of 1990, the negotiations were interrupted definitely, provoking the close of the activities of ENGESA.
More to come. Hold your Airbrush! I will post some photos with different paint schmes.
PS: As far as i know, we have no Leos 2... yet.
PS2: Sorry about the lame translation!
Cheers mate!
) after ENGESA's bankruptcy.
Linear Mode
