Chaimite V-600 Mortar Carriers
Notes: Though
Portugal’s Chaimite-based vehicles are already beginning their replacement by
the Pandur, and full replacement is expected to take place as soon as 2016, it
is most likely will take longer than is expected.
In addition, Libyan Chaimite mortar carriers will almost certainly
soldier on for a while (though what happened to them during and after the
revolution is unknown.)
Most Chaimite
mortar carriers carry the designation V-600, regardless of the type of mortar
they carry and which Chaimite chassis they are built upon. The basic form of
this vehicle is a Chaimite V-200 (four-wheel version) with an 81mm or 82mm
mortar fitted in the passenger compartment, firing to the rear.
The 81mm mortar is fitted to most of these vehicles; the 82mm mortar
equips the V-600s used by Libya.
The actual mortar used varied with time.
The mortar fires through two overhead hatches, with the interior filled
primarily with racks for mortar ammunition and fuzes, and armored containers for
the unused charges. Some other countries using the V-600 include Peru,
Philippines and Peru; mounted mortars are weapons made except for Libya, who
chose to mount Soviet-designed mortars they already owned in their V-600s.
Most users of
the V-600 also used 6-wheeled V-600s which mounted heavier mortars.
For most of it’s career, these 6x6 Portuguese vehicles carried
US-designed M-30 4.2” (107mm) mortars.
In the 1990s, however, Portugal replaced these with TDA 120mm mortars.
The Libyans mounted Russian-designed 120mm M-43’s on these vehicles.
Once again, the interior is basically full of racks for the mortar rounds
and the mortar itself.
It is rumored
that about half-a-dozen 8x8 versions were made for Libya.
These larger chassis were requester to supply mobile platforms for some
of Libya’s 160mm M-1953 mortars. A
more powerful 210-horsepower engine was installed to cope with the additional
weight, and the suspension beefed up.
These vehicles were not found during or after the recent action in Libya,
and it is uncertain as to what happened to them, but it is certain that only one
small batch was produced. Commander’s machineguns on these Libyan vehicles are
Italian-made MG-44/59s.
The V-600s have
an additional long-range radio; late in their career, all versions except Libyan
versions received a mortar ballistic computer and the long-range radio was made
data-capable.
Like other Chaimites, the V-600 was originally powered by a Chrysler gasoline
engine, but these were quickly replaced by a 155-horsepower Cummins diesel
engine. Transmission is manual.
Suspension is of off-road-type, with number of wheels depending on the mortar
carrier type. A spare tire normally mounted at the front of the vehicle. The
front of the hull has a winch with a capacity of 4.53 tons, with 38.1 meters of
cable. The Chaimite is amphibious, propelled in the water by its wheels;
however, with the mortar fit, swimming a V-600 can be dangerous due
back-heaviness. Armor is painfully light.
Just to the
front of and above the side door is a station for the vehicle commander; he is
armed with a machinegun (several sizes possible).
His position is ringed by all-around vision blocks.
There is no provision for aiming and firing when buttoned up, and the
V-600 has no form of turret. The
mortar fires from enlarged overhead hatches on the rear of the roof. The driver
remains on the front left side.
There are the usual clamshell doors on either side of the vehicle.
The driver and commander have small bullet resistant windows to the front and
sides of them, and hatches above them.
The driver and commander have firing ports directly in front of them and
to the sides of them, but these are only shutters with armored covers and not
sealed firing ports. The standard
firing ports in the sides are plated over, but the one on the rear left remains.
(This is in the rear door.)
Vehicle |
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
V-600 81/82mm |
$171,039 |
D, A |
600 kg |
7.71 tons |
4 |
9 |
Passive IR (D) |
Enclosed |
V-600 120mm |
$215,051 |
D, A |
700 kg |
8.22 tons |
4 |
10 |
Passive IR (D) |
Enclosed |
V-600 160mm |
$335,047 |
D, A |
800 kg |
10.01 tons |
6 |
11 |
Passive IR (D) |
Enclosed |
Vehicle |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
V-600 81/82mm |
172/87 |
48/24/4 |
300 |
45 |
Stnd |
W(3) |
HF3 HS2
HR2 |
V-600 120mm |
164/83 |
46/23/4 |
350 |
46 |
Stnd |
W(4) |
HF3 HS2
HR2 |
V-600 160mm |
178/90 |
49/25/4 |
450 |
78 |
Stnd |
W(6) |
HF3 HS2
HR2 |
Vehicle |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
V-600 81/82mm |
None |
None |
MAG (C) or M-2HB (C) or M-249 (C); 81mm or 82mm mortar |
2400x7.62mm or 1700x.50 or 3200x5.56mm; 50x81mm or 82mm |
V-600 120mm |
None |
None |
MAG (C) or M-2HB (C) or M-249 (C); 120mm TDA or Bloc mortar |
2800x7.62mm or 2000x.50 or 3700x5.56mm; 40x120mm |
V-600 160mm |
None |
None |
MG-44/59; M-1953 160mm mortar |
3200x7.62mm; 35x160mm |