AMX 10 RC

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AMX 10 RC on a trailer
AMX 10 RC
General characteristics
Crew 4
Length 6,24
Width 2,78
Height 2,56
Weight 15
Armour and armament
Armour
Main armament 105 mm BK MECA L/48 (38 rounds) (Vo 800 m/s)
Secondary armament AA 7,62 NF1 co-axial machine gun (4000 cartridges), 4 smoke generators. Optional 12.7-mm M2HB AA MG
Mobility
Power plant Baudouin Diesel Model 6F11 SRX
280 hp (208.8 kW)
Suspension hydropneumatic wheel
Road speed 85
Power/weight
Range 800 to 1000

The AMX-10RC is an armoured car built by GIAT. Over 300 are in service in the French Army. 120 additional vehicles were sold to Morocco (108) and Qatar (12).

The AMX-10RC is a wheeled and heavily armed version of the AMX-10P combat vehicle. The AMX-10RC should not be confused with the AMX-10P; both share automotive components but otherwise have completely different battlefield roles. The AMX-10RC is amphibious and has very good mobility. It is usually used for reconnaissance missions in dangerous environments, or for fire support.

[edit] Design and characteristics

Image:AMX-10RC.jpg

Initial work on the AMX-10RC began in 1970, with production beginning in 1976. The vehicle features a powerful GIAT 105 mm gun mounted in a welded aluminium turret. The turret also serves to house 3 crewmembers, while the driver sits in the front of the hull; the COTAC fire control system is provided for gun aiming.

The AMX-10RC has been the recipient of numerous upgrades over its lifetime. Newer systems include battlefield-management system terminals, most notably. For its part in the 1991 Gulf War, the AMX-10RC was provided with extra add-on armour and anti-tank missile decoy systems. Other improvements include the installation of a NATO 105 mm gun, as the GIAT model was not compatible with NATO munitions. Thermal imaging systems have also been installed, using units taken from decommissioned AMX-30B2 MBTs. A central tire-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.

[edit] Missions

  • Armoured reconnaissance
  • Armoured support
  • Flanking the main battle corps

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Modern French armoured fighting vehicles
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