Tank origin

Brazil, faced with an aging inventory of M3A1 and M3A3 Stuart tanks, made the decision to update the tanks to a more modern specification using a domestic contractor, Bernardini. Bernardini was already the contractor to update Brazil’s existing inventory of M41 Walker Bulldogs. The result was the Bernardini X1, which featured a 90 mm cannon—the same gun found on the Panhard AML-90—a Saab-Scania diesel engine, enhanced suspension, enhanced armor and a new fire control system. The X1 modernization program was completed by 1978, with 80 tanks updated.