Type light tank Manufacturer GIAT Weight 6.7 mt | Place of origin France No. built 10 Length 4.97 m | |
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The ELC project was a prototype light tank project launched by the French Ministry of Defense in 1955. The purpose of the ELC (Engin Léger de Combat) project was to develop a lightly armoured, heavily armed fighting vehicle capable of being transported by airlift for rapid deployment.
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AMX ELC
Prototypes of the AMX ELC were manufactured by GIAT Industries under the AMX (Ateliers de construction d'Issy-les-Moulineaux) designation, however the vehicle was not mass-produced and did not formally enter military service.
The vehicle weighed 6 tons, with the driver and gunner located on either side of the 90mm D. 915 gun mounted on the turret. Since in addition to being very light, the tank was also very short (half a meter shorter than the AMX-13), the driver used a reclined position and the gunner had to have his body halfway inside the hull, making turret traverse limited: the gun had a shooting range of 360 degrees when immobile, and was limited to that of a conventional assault gun when in motion. The AMX ELC had a SOFAM 8 Gxb engine. Several models of the turret (AMX ELC bis) were tested on chassis manufactured from plans created by Hotchkiss. The vehicle's drive suspension featured four roadwheels and two top rollers on each side. A new chassis began development in 1957, and was completed in 1961 under the designation of the ELC bis; this newer prototype had five roadwheels per side. The prototype is preserved at the Museum of Armour in Saumur.
ELC 30
The ELC 30 was a variant within the ELC series of light tanks which was armed with twin 30mm HS825 cannons mounted on a pedestal-type turret and two machine guns. The central gunner's hatch was located on the turret, and a single fluted barrel is mounted on both sides of the turret.
ELC 75
The ELC 75 was armed with four 75mm recoilless rifles, with two placed on each side of its small pedestal-type turret.
ELC Na2
The ELC Na2 featured a turret fitted with four SS-11 ATGM. A twin launcher is located on the right side of the turret, and a single launcher is located on the left side. An armoured glass observation window is fitted on the front side of the vertical plate turret.
ELC 90
The ELC 90 was armed with a single low-pressure 90mm Mecar gun fitted on the right side of a pedestal-type turret, with a single smooth barrel. A co-axial machine gun is mounted on the left side of the turret, and the gunner's hatch is located on the top of the turret.