EE-T1 Osório

Infobox Weapon
name=EE-T1 Osorio


caption=
origin=BRA
type=Main battle tank
is_vehicle=yes
length=9.99 m
width=3.26 m
height=2.37 m
weight=39 tonnes (85,800 lb)
suspension=hydropneumatic
speed=70 km/h
vehicle_range=550 km
primary_armament= 105 mm L/52 L7 British rifled gun, or 120 mm GIAT G1 French smoothbore gun.
secondary_armament= 1 x Hughes X34 7.62 mm machine gun (coaxial), 1 x M2HB 12.7mm (AA)
armour=composite; including aluminum/steel, carbon fibers, and ceramics.
engine=12-cylinder diesel
crew=4 (commander, gunner, loader, driver)
engine_power=1,100 hp
pw_ratio=26 hp/tonne

The Engesa EE-T1 Osório was a Brazilian main battle tank. It was a market gamble by Engesa: developed with little government support on borrowed investment funds, it would be sold first to Arab and other Third World countries not aligned with the NATO countries, and this would jumpstart production to enable the sorely underfunded Brazilian Army to place its own orders without funding the project development and research.

Development started in 1982 and the first prototype was completed in 1985.cite book |last=Gelbart |first=Marsh |title=Tanks main battle and light tanks |year=1996 |publisher=Brassey’s UK Ltd |pages=pp.13-14 |isbn=185753168X]

Unlike the M1 Abrams with its turbine engine, the Osório used a conventional diesel engine and it was lighter but also far less powerful. It won a evaluation against the Abrams plus, the French AMX 40 and the British Challenger 1 in Saudi Arabia because of its lower price tag, and thus was set to be bought by several other countries, including perhaps Iraq, that were looking forward to follow the results of the Saudi evaluation and implementation. But shortly after the evaluation, Iraq invaded Kuwait, triggering the first Gulf War, and Saudi Arabia, being defended from Iraq by the United States, was bound to buy the M1A1 Abrams. Subsequently, due to the war result, Iraq was in no condition to place its own orders.

Other smaller prospective buyers followed Saudi Arabia lead into buying NATO. The Brazilian Army never got the funding to buy it, and the company Engesa went under.

References

External links

* [http://www.fprado.com/armorsite/EE-T1-Osorio.htm Fprado.com]
* [http://www.enemyforces.com/tanks/osorio.htm Enemyforces.com]