The Armed Forces of Ukraine received AMX-10RC vehicles from France in March 2023, but their first combat use showed that they were simply not designed for active offensive operations in real conditions. Despite the fact that the AMX-10RC is often referred to as a wheeled tank, it is formally a reconnaissance armored vehicle with its own specifics.
But even if it were a real wheeled tank, it would hardly matter on a real battlefield. This is directly evidenced by the experience of the 37th Marine Brigade, which operates the AMX-10RC vehicles in a role for which it was not designed at all.
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At first glance, the AMX-10RC APV has not changed at all, neither in terms of armament nor in terms of protection. But the key is to change its use and actually turn it into self-propelled artillery, as it is actively used for shooting from closed positions.
At the same time, an aiming circle was installed on the vehicle. And this became the main role of the AMX-10RC APV. This is why it can be used in combat and bring benefits now.
It should be noted that the use of tank fire from closed positions is actively used by both the Ukrainian Armed Forces and russians. At the same time, it is hard to say that the AMX-10RC vehicles can do it better.
The main armament of the vehicle is a 105-mm F2 BK MECA L/48 gun, which uses 105x527 mm shells which are not standardized in NATO, not 105x617 mm, . But the main thing is that a 105-mm high-explosive projectile is significantly inferior in its effect to a 125-mm tank shell.
The idea of the AMX-10RC APV as an extremely mobile, powerful for conditions of maneuver warfare and counterattack, turned out to be unrealistic in the realities of a full-scale war.
Although this is absolutely logical, because the AMX-10RC APV was created in the 80s for expeditionary forces for a war where the enemy could hardly be armed with anything more powerful than pickup trucks with machine guns.
However, the realities of the full-scale war clearly indicate that the concept of a light wheeled tank has become even more controversial than it was before. Because despite their high mobility and the ability to quickly deploy across the operational space, such vehicles, despite their high firepower, have too narrow a specialization, and many factors must come together to unlock their advantages.
At the same time, Ukrainian warriors say that they do not have much choice, so they have to adapt what they have to the realities of war and its requirements.
Earlier Defense Express reported that Lithuanian M577 armored personnel carriers had strenthed Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
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