Notes: The
Timoney, used primarily by the Irish Army, and the BDX, license-produced by
Belgium and used by that country and by Argentina and Mexico, are related
vehicles, differing primarily in internal seating arrangements and the
positioning of firing ports and vision blocks.
Armament also differs between the two, and also varies from country to
country. The Timoney is a light APC
with thin armor better suited to internal security and rear area security than
battlefield use. Two BDXs were also sold to Kuwait before Desert Storm, but lost
in that conflict. The Timoney is
being phased out of Irish service; the BDX is no longer used by Belgium but is
still used by Argentina and Mexico (where it is designated the DNC-2).
The Timoney
The original
prototype of the Timoney was the Mk 1, built only as a demonstrator vehicle in
1973; the Mk 2 was a test version which was used primarily as a static test
vehicle. Two more prototypes, the
Mk 3s, were then produced as advanced demonstrators.
The Mk 4 was the first production version, appearing in 1976.
The Mk 5 was the prototype of the BDX.
The Mk 6 was an improved version of the Timoney; the improvements will be
discussed below.
The armor of the
Timoney is of all-welded steel, with additional floor protection.
The driver and commander sit in the front of the vehicle, behind a
bullet-resistant windshield and with vision blocks on either side of their
compartment. They have hatches
above their positions, and the driver’s hatch has a vision block which can be
replaced by a night vision block.
The engine is behind the commander and driver, with the troop compartment behind
that; there is no direct connection between the driver and commander’s
compartment and the troop compartment.
Above the troop compartment of the Timoney is a small turret armed with a
heavy and light machinegun, with a small double hatch above it; this has another
light machinegun on a pintle mount to use against targets that must be engaged
faster than the turret can traverse (turret traverse is manual).
The turret weapons are marginally trainable from side to side, but have
good elevation and depression of +55 degrees and -11 degrees.
The turret has a day/night vision block to aim the weapons from inside
the turret as well as a rotating periscope. On either side of the turret are
double smoke grenade launchers and on the gun mantlet is a small searchlight
which moves in conjunction with the main armament, but rotates more than the
main armament. The troop
compartment has the troops sitting down the sides, with the squad leader in a
seat at the rear and facing the rear.
Firing ports are located down the sides and in the rear of the vehicle,
two down each side and one in the rear.
There is a door in the rear face and a is a hatch on the rear deck; there
is a door in each side of the vehicle on each side for the commander and driver.
The Timoney has
a 4x4 off-road suspension. The
engine is a Chrysler gasoline engine developing 180 horsepower, combined with an
automatic transmission. The
driver’s controls are conventional, and are power-assisted.
The suspension is beefy and gives a smooth ride on and off road.
The front and rear wheels steer independently to reduce turning radius. A
collective NBC system is optional, but not present on Irish vehicles.
The Mk 6
improves protection primarily with better armor technology, but also by a
redesign of the glacis plate which increases the slant of the glacis plate and a
lowering of the driver’s and commander’s positions.
The slant of the windshield is also reduced for better visibility. An
additional firing port is in each side of the vehicle, and the field of view of
the vision blocks is improved and the firing ports have a better field of fire.
The vehicle’s air intakes are also located lower on the sides of the
engine compartment and are better protected. The wheelbase is lengthened and
widened, giving the Mk 6 better stability and a lower center of gravity as well
as increasing interior space. The
engine has been replaced with a 180-horsepower Detroit Diesel 4-53T engine,
giving the vehicle better range without sacrificing power, and also increasing
torque. The transmission is the
same one as in the Mk 4. The
suspension has been given differential locking.
Due to the increase in length and width as well as the increase in armor,
the vehicle is heavier than the Mk 4.
A variant of the
Mk 6, the Mk 6 Fire Support vehicle, is armed with a 90mm Cockerill gun with
electrical traverse and elevation as well as a coaxial machinegun and a
pintle-mounted machinegun. Despite
the inclusion of the 90mm gun and the space the ammunition takes up, the vehicle
still carries the same number of troops, though internal space is decidedly more
at a premium.
The BDX
The BDX was
adopted by the Belgians in 1981 and the Argentines and Mexicans in the early
1990s. Most of the particulars of the Timoney Mk 4 are the same on the BDX. The
most noticeable difference in at the front of the vehicle, which has a single
driver’s compartment in the center front, with the commander’s position moved to
the roof of the vehicle. The driver
has a bullet-resistant windshield to the front and bullet-resistant windshield
to the sides, all of which can be covered by armored shutters.
The slope of the front armor is noticeably less than on the Timoney Mk 4.
The driver’s hatch has a vision block which may be exchanged for a night vision
block. The commander’s hatch has either a pintle-mounted weapon or the hatch is
replaced by a light turret like the Timoney above.
(Turreted versions are rare.) BDXs typically move the smoke grenade
launchers to the sides of the front of the vehicle, and are in banks of three
instead of being double mounts. The
customary hatches at the rear and on the rear deck are on the BDX, and there are
the same firing ports on the BDX as on the Timoney Mk 4.
In addition, the BDX has a door in each side of the hull.
Both the front and side hatches can be locked in a half-open position.
The rear troop area is larger and carries more troops, even on turreted
versions. The engine is the
Chrysler 180-horsepower gasoline engine, but still coupled to an automatic
transmission with power steering and brakes and a power-boosted transmission.
Mexican DNC-2s
have been modified by the installation of the Detroit Diesel 6V-53T
212-horsepower engine, the same as the M-113 uses.
The Valkyr
The Valkyr was
developed with the help of Vickers, and is a further development of the BDX.
All in all, it looks like a BDX, but somewhat chunkier, and it is larger
than the BDX. Though they have been shown at various arms shows in the 1980s and
1990s, they are no longer being marketed, hand had no takers.
The Valkyr was meant to form the basis of a fighting vehicle family,
though the only demonstrators built were APC-type variants similar in armament
to the Mk 6. One was also
configured as a VIP transport vehicle, for use in dignitary protection in hot
areas. The Valkyr took a cue from
the Mexicans and was powered by a 6V-53T engine, and had heavier armor which
could be supplemented by appliqué armor.
The 4x4 suspension has independent shock absorbers and springs for each
wheel to increase off-road performance. Tires are larger than those of the BDX,
and this also improves off-road performance. The inside of the vehicle is
somewhat smaller than the Mk 6. The
somewhat small rear door of the BDX is made larger on the Valkyr.
Armor is heavier than on the BDX, and the floor armor is dramatically
increased. In addition, the lower
parts of the hull are designed to blow off in the event that the vehicle runs
over a mine or IED, further increasing floor armor performance.
The left side door is moved forward and is meant as an exit and entrance
for the driver and commander, while the right side door is primarily for troop
entry and exit. There is a direct
connection between the driver’s position and the troop compartment.
The driver has a larger compartment, with larger side windows.
The Valkyr has an automatic fire detection and suppression system. A
small 50-liter water tank and lockers for rations are includes under the seats,
and there are brackets on the hull for additional fuel cans.
The Valkyr was marketed with the option of several turrets, ranging from
double light machineguns to a version with a 60mm gun/mortar and autocannon
combination and a two-man fire support variant with a 90mm gun.
These turrets reduce the troop capacity, due to the greater amount of
ammunition carried than on the BDX; the turret is also lower on the basic
chassis than on the BDX. The
changes would have made it a credible APC, had it gone into production. Padding
and sound protection are added to the driver’s commander’s, and troop
compartments.
Twilight 2000
Notes: The Valkyr was produced in the Twilight 2000 timeline, and used by
Belgium, Britain, Kuwait, and Mexico (who produced them under license, and were
the last producers of the Valkyr).
Vehicle |
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
Timoney Mk 4 |
$52,020 |
G, A |
800 kg |
8.7 tons |
3+9 |
4 |
Passive IR (D, G) |
Enclosed |
Timoney Mk 6 |
$53,782 |
D, A |
1 ton |
10 tons |
3+9 |
4 |
Passive IR (D, G) |
Enclosed |
Timoney Mk 6 FSV |
$328,278 |
D, A |
650 kg |
11.4 tons |
3+9 |
6 |
Passive IR (D, G), Image Intensification (G) |
Enclosed |
BDX |
$29,841 |
G, A |
1 ton |
10.7 tons |
2+10 |
6 |
Passive IR (D) |
Enclosed |
BDX w/Turret |
$65,524 |
G, A |
900 kg |
11 tons |
2+9 |
6 |
Passive IR (D, G), Image Intensification (G) |
Enclosed |
DNC-2 |
$29,961 |
G, A |
1 ton |
10.7 tons |
2+10 |
6 |
Passive IR (D) |
Enclosed |
Valkyr w/Twin MG Turret |
$39,035 |
D, A |
1 ton |
11 tons |
2+8 |
6 |
Passive IR (D, G), Image Intensification (G) |
Enclosed |
Valkyr w/.50/7.62 Turret |
$42,354 |
D, A |
900 kg |
11.2 tons |
2+8 |
6 |
Passive IR (D, G) |
Enclosed |
Valkyr w/60-20 Turret |
$171,277 |
D, A |
550 kg |
12.5 tons |
3+6 |
8 |
Passive IR (D, G), Image Intensification (G) |
Enclosed |
Valkyr FSV |
$310,940 |
D, A |
650 kg |
12.4 tons |
3+5 |
8 |
Passive IR (D, G), Image Intensification (G) |
Enclosed |
Vehicle |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
Timoney Mk 4 |
164/82 |
38/19 |
248 |
121 |
CiH |
W(3) |
TF2 TS2
TR2 HF4
HS3 HR2* |
Timoney Mk 6 |
143/71 |
33/87 |
248 |
91 |
CiH |
W(3) |
TF2 TS2
TR2 HF5
HS4 HR2** |
Timoney Mk 6 FSV |
126/62 |
29/77 |
248 |
104 |
Trtd |
W(3) |
TF4 TS4
TR4 HF5
HS4 HR2** |
BDX |
133/66 |
31/15 |
248 |
149 |
Stnd |
W(3) |
HF5 HS4
HR2** |
BDX w/Turret |
130/65 |
30/15 |
248 |
154 |
CiH |
W(3) |
TF2 TS2
TR2 HF5
HS4 HR2** |
DNC-2 |
161/82 |
37/19 |
248 |
109 |
Stnd |
W(3) |
HF5 HS4
HR2** |
Valkyr w/Twin MG Turret |
156/80 |
36/18 |
200 |
112 |
CiH |
W(3) |
TF2 TS2
TR2 HF6
HS4 HR3*** |
Valkyr w/.50/7.62 Turret |
155/79 |
36/18 |
200 |
114 |
CiH |
W(3) |
TF2 TS2
TR2 HF6
HS4 HR3*** |
Valkyr w/60-20 Turret |
138/71 |
31/15 |
200 |
128 |
Trtd |
W(3) |
TF4 TS4
TR3 HF6
HS4 HR3*** |
Valkyr FSV |
138/71 |
31/15 |
200 |
126 |
Trtd |
W(3) |
TF4 TS4
TR4 HF6
HS4 HR3*** |
Vehicle |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
Timoney Mk 4 |
+1 |
Basic |
M2HB, MAG, MAG (C) |
400x.50, 1000x7.62mm |
Timoney Mk 6 |
+1 |
Basic |
M2HB, MAG, MAG (C) |
475x.50, 1200x7.62mm |
Timoney Mk 6, FSV |
+2 |
Fair |
90mm Cockerill Gun, MAG, MAG (C) |
67x90mm, 1200x7.62mm |
BDX/DNC-2 |
None |
None |
MAG (C) |
1700x7.62mm |
BDX w/Turret |
+1 |
Basic |
M2HB, MAG, MAG (C) |
475x.50, 1200x7.62mm |
Valkyr w/Twin MG Turret |
+1 |
Basic |
2xMAG |
2000x7.62mm |
Valkyr w/.50/7.62 Turret |
+1 |
Basic |
M2HB, MAG, MAG (C) |
600x.50, 1000x7.62mm |
Valkyr w/60-20 Turret |
+1 |
Fair |
60mm HB-60 Mortar, 20mm KAD Autocannon, MAG (C) |
50x60mm, 500x20mm, 600x7.62mm |
Valkyr FSV |
+2 |
Fair |
90mm Cockerill Gun, MAG, MAG (C) |
67x90mm, 1500x7.62mm |
*Floor Armor is 4.
**Floor Armor is 5.
***Floor Armor is 6.