Timoney/BDX

     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.