amx-13 light tank, produced 1953 1985
amx-30
various tank designs built france after world war ii. tank models such amx-13 , amx-30 exported various other nations. newer french tank designs sacrificed armour protection increased mobility, due idea large amount of armour required protect against modern anti-tank threats affect maneuverability, , higher speed , more compact vehicle dimensions more effective in protecting tank potential threats.
a rift formed between france , west germany following charles de gaulle s decision france no longer participate in nato, west germany opposing standardised common tank project. in 1963, both west germany , france declared produce purely national tanks. development towards main battle tank projects such amx-30 occurred afterwards.
french amx-30b2 deployed in saudi arabia, during military operations before gulf war.
amx-30b @ bovington tank museum.
amx-30 forad (force adverse), representing t-72, on maneuver.
amx-30 production occurred @ atelier de construction de roanne in town of roanne. heavy manufacturing factory built during world war produce artillery shells, although 1952 factory had begun producing armoured fighting vehicles. before producing amx-30, example, had made 1,900 amx-13s , variants. roanne factory responsible final assembly, components made elsewhere: powerplant atelier de construction de limoges, full armour set ateliers et forges de la loire, turret atelier de construction de tarbes, cannon atelier de construction de bourges, cupola , machine-gun manufacture d armes de saint-Étienne , optics atelier de construction de puteaux; these again used many subcontractors. in series of corporate mergers under state guidance, of these firms concentrated giat.
originally, 300 amx-30s ordered french army, , 1971 order had been increased 900, divided between 8 batches,including variants based on chassis.beginning in 1966, ten amx-30s assembled per month, , first 5 issued in august 1966 501st régiment de chars de combat. monthly production grew 15–20 tanks new factories began manufacture components of vehicle , existing factories increased production potential. however, in april 1969, production again reduced ten per month. 1971 180 vehicles in service; in 1975 delivery began of last 143 units of final eighth batch of original order. in 1985 number of amx-30s had risen 1173. end of production, france had accepted 1,355 amx-30s service, including 166 brand-new amx-30b2s. 493 tanks refitted , modernized amx-30b2 standards; 271 new , 820 refitted vehicles had been planned. french army accepted large number of variants, including 195 self-propelled howitzers, 44 amx-30 pluton tactical nuclear missile launchers, 183 amx-30rs, 134 amx-30ds , 48 engineer vehicles (amx-30ebg). last 35 new battle tanks in 1989 ordered cyprus , last new variant vehicles, batch of twenty gcts, in 1994 france.
a leclerc on manoeuvres.
in late 1990s, french army began accept new leclerc main battle tank replace antiquated amx-30. first units outfitted new tank 501st , 503rd tank regiments, followed 6th , 12th cuirassier regiments.
in 1980s next in giat manufactured, export-driven amx series designed. amx-32 had failed attract potential sales, company decided produce yet upgrade. amx-40 main battle tank. development of amx-40 began in 1980 clean sheet design. in 1983 first prototype finished , presented @ satory exhibition of year. 2 further prototypes produced in 1984; last, fourth, fabricated in 1985. design not intended service in france, successor amx-32, improved export version of amx-30. efforts obtain foreign orders failed, serious potential customer have considered design being spain. in 1990 no longer offered export.
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