Type Armoured car In service 1981 – present | Place of origin France Length 6.24 m (20 ft 6 in) | |
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Wars Western Sahara War* Gulf War* War in Afghanistan* Operation Serval Weight 15 tonnes (17 short tons; 15 long tons) | ||
The AMX-10RC is a light reconnaissance vehicle built by GIAT. Over 300 are in service in the French Army. In addition, 108 vehicles were sold to Morocco and 12 to Qatar. RC stands for Roues-Canon, or wheeled gun.
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The AMX-10RC should not be confused with the AMX-10P; they share automotive components but otherwise have completely different battlefield roles. The AMX-10RC is usually used for reconnaissance missions in dangerous environments or for fire support.
Design and characteristics
Initial work on the AMX-10RC began in 1970; production began in 1976, and the first production vehicle was delivered in 1981 to the 2nd Regiment de Hussards in Sourdun. The vehicle features a powerful GIAT 105mm gun mounted in a welded aluminium turret. The turret also serves to house three crew members, while the driver sits in the front of the hull; the COTAC fire control system is provided for gun aiming. All six wheels are driven, and the AMX-10RC uses skid steering to turn the hull.
The 105mm rifled gun fires four types of ammunition: APFSDS, HE, HEAT and smoke. The APFSDS, which uses the penetrator from the GIAT 90mm APFSDS round, is capable of penetrating a NATO triple heavy tank target at a range of 2,000 metres.
The AMX-10RC has been the recipient of numerous upgrades over its lifetime. Most notably, newer systems include battlefield-management system terminals. For its part in the 1991 Gulf War, the AMX-10RC was provided with extra add-on armour and anti-tank missile decoy systems. One improvement considered was the installation of a NATO 105mm gun, as the GIAT model was not compatible with NATO munitions, but this was ultimately not done. Thermal imaging systems have also been installed, using units taken from decommissioned AMX-30B2 MBTs. A central tyre-inflation system is available for added traction over soft terrain. The AMX-10RC is equipped with an NBC (Nuclear/Biological/Chemical) protection system and may conduct reconnaissance in a radioactive environment.
The AMX-10RC is no longer in production by GIAT.
AMX-10RCR modernisation
In 2010, Nexter completed the modernisation of 256 AMX-10RC vehicles to the RCR (Rénové) configuration, a programme that consisted of integrating various systems and additional armour, active self-protection by Sagem, LIRE (Leurre Infrarouge) / Eirel, the combat management system SIT (Système d'Information Terminal) V1, ASP device Galix smoke grenades, changes in the NBC protection and improvements in the suspension, and the speed gearboxes and tactical communications completed with Thales Communications & Security PR4G VS4. The integration was done by DCMAT (Direction Centrale du Matériel de l'Armée de Terre).
Scorpion EBRC
The AMX 10 RC will be replaced with the Scorpion EBRC.