Operator’s Handbook
This French armoured fighting vehicle, in service for decades, provides flexible infantry support with high-calibre firepower
For many years, the French military has displayed a penchant for wheeled armoured fighting vehicles serving in varied roles such as reconnaissance, anti-tank, infantry direct fire support, armoured personnel transportation and anti-aircraft. The AMX-10 RC, conceived during the 1970s and deployed to the French Army for the first time near the end of the decade, is typical of such French production vehicles which have emerged since the years of the Cold War.
Research and development of the AMX-10 RC, with RC standing for Roues Canon (wheeled gun), began in the autumn of 1970, with prototype development extending six years and the first production vehicle entering service with the 2nd Regiment de Hussards. The Ateliers de construction d’Issy-les-Moulineaux undertook the project with the charge to develop a replacement vehicle for the complement of Panhard EBR heavy armoured cars then nearing 30 years in use and approaching the end of their service life. More than 450 examples of the AMX-10 RC were manufactured, and the French military received 284 of these.
Despite the absence of tracked mobility, some military observers have classified the AMX-10 RC as a light tank; the fact that it mounts a powerful 4.1in (105mm) main weapon lends credence to such an assertion. Actually, it may well be the first vehicle of its type in the world to mount a weapon of such heavy calibre. The vehicle has seen deployments in numerous hot spots around the world during more than 40 years of active service, and in early 2023 the French government agreed to supply Ukraine with a number of AMX-10s, to aid in its war with Russia. The performance of these vehicles in Ukraine is yet to be fully assessed, but it is hoped that the ‘wheeled gun’ can make an imapct on the battlefield.
ARMAMENT
The 4.1in (105mm) F2 cannon was designed to fit the GIAT Industries TK 105 turret installed in the AMX-10 RC. The cannon features shallow rifling in a lightweight barrel with semi-automatic vertical sliding wedge block breech and an electrical firing system. The cannon weighs roughly 1,587lb (720kg) and delivers an effective range of slightly more than 4,100ft (1,250m) with high muzzle but a relatively slow rate of fire at only six rounds per minute. The weapon is capable of firing high-explosive, hig
