BMS-1 Alacran
The BMS-1 Alacrán (Spanish: Scorpion) was the last halftrack combat vehicle developed. It was constructed in the early 1980s as a private venture of Cardoen Industries, based on the experience gained from the modernization of the Chilean army's M3A1 transporters, an operation that took place in the mid-1970s. The aim of the project was to develop a modern, universal combat vehicle for buyers from developing countries that still used weapons with a pedigree dating back to World War II.
The BMS-1 Alacrán is a large tonnage multipurpose vehicle, developed from the experience acquired at the end of the seventies, with the reconstruction at the request of the army of M-3 A1 semi-tracked vehicles. Cardoen created a new vehicle based on the M-3 half-track, which he named BMS-1 Alacrán. The vehicle could withstand 7.62mm impacts, piercing, in all directions, the structure includes armored sights on the sides of the vehicle so that the occupants can spindle their weapons, from inside the vehicle. The BMS-1 was equipped with a new Allison MT-653 engine and automatic transmission, reaching a maximum speed of 80 km / hr., And sustained 60 km / hr, with a range of 600 kilometers. The vehicle can house 12 fully equipped soldiers, at the same time it can be used in different configurations, such as command vehicle, antiaircraft, ambulance, antitank, porter, and could be equipped with a platform for 70mm rockets.
Alacrán has a very distinctive silhouette. The front is shaped like a chisel with a steep lower section and a milder upper armor. The roof is flat and mostly devoid of protruding elements. The rear side is flat and inclined at a slight angle towards the interior of the vehicle. Also, the upper parts of the side boards are directed towards the interior of the vehicle and taper upwards. In the lower part, however, there are long, almost half the length of the vehicle, trapezoidal recesses for the tracks. The driver's seat is protected by a bulletproof windshield on the left side of the upper front armor that can be opened forwards.
The interior of the vehicle is protected by armor made of high-hardness steel, resistant to penetration by a 7.62-millimeter bullet and shrapnel from all sides, and the frontal armor has been additionally reinforced to withstand the fire of 12.7-millimeter bullets. There are no exact data, but the existing photos show that the interior of the vehicle was not lined with anti-splintering lining. It is also unknown whether the vehicle had a fire protection system and protection against ABC weapons. The BMS-1 was practically devoid of modern electronic equipment, which was limited to a radio and a passive night vision device for the driver.
Alacrán's propulsion was a Detroit Diesel 6V-53T six-cylinder diesel engine with 275hp at 2,800 rpm. The Allison MT-653 automatic transmission with five forward gears and one reverse gear was connected to the power unit. By the way, it is worth mentioning that the same engine drove the very popular American M113 armored personnel carrier. It was also possible to install another Cummins V-555 diesel engine with 230 hp at 3000 rpm. The internal tanks contained 350 liters of fuel.
The running gear was unique for the time in which the vehicle was created, and consisted of front wheels with suspension based on hydraulic coil springs and a rear track part identical to the M3A1 WW2. The suspension of the rear part was based on vertical spiral springs absorbing the trolley with four road wheels mounted on two axles. The lineage of this suspension system can be traced back to the American tanks of the Second World War: the M2, M3 Lee and the M4 Sherman. In addition, the system consisted of one wheel supporting the tracks at the top, a large front idler wheel, and a rear drive wheel. The tracks themselves remained unchanged from the M3A1.
The BMS-1 was 6.37 meters long, 2.36 meters wide and 2.3 meters high. The combat weight was 10.5 tons, which gave a pressure of 0.71 kg / cm2. The maximum climbable angle was 60%, and the lateral tilt was 40%. The vehicle was able to wade in water up to 1.6 meters deep. However, data specifying the machine's ability to overcome ditches and vertical obstacles is not available.
Standard armament in the armored personnel carrier version did not differ from the then standards in this class. At the commander's hatch it was possible to install a 12.7 millimeter M2HB machine gun, a 7.62 millimeter rifle, a 40 millimeter grenade launcher or a recoilless rifle. As an armored personnel carrier, the BMS-1 could take ten landing men, each with an individual seat. On the side boards there were four, and on the rear two openings for fire from the inside. The soldiers were able to exit the vehicle through two rectangular hatches placed in the ceiling and opening to the right side of the door in the rear side. Sapper tools were placed outside the vehicle, in front of the port side.
The main function of the vehicle was to act in desert terrain or in marshy terrain, the Chilean Army did not show interest in the vehicle given the few benefits that it presented. Ultimately, however, the BMS-1 construction program was not successful. Although the vehicle was found to be significantly more mobile than any other halftrack during trials, the Chilean military found it significantly weaker compared to fully wheeled and fully tracked vehicles, which ultimately resulted in the offer being rejected. Shortly thereafter, it turned out that there was also a shortage of foreign potential buyers who had come to conclusions similar to the Chileans and also pointed to the high price of the vehicle.
However, until 1992, the BMS-1 was available from Cardoen Industries, which at that time ran into trouble with the law. It found that it had illegally sold $ 200 million in cluster bombs to Iraq, which ruined the company's reputation. Legal problems and the lack of buyers caused the BMS-1 to be withdrawn from offer.
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