The Armed Forces of Ukraine are about to receive another unique piece of equipment from France, as follows after a phone call between President Zelenskyi of Ukraine and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.
The Ukrainian president mentions "light tanks" and Bastion armored personnel carriers which Ukraine already received previously. The two top officials also discussed "strengthening Ukrainian air defense and other defense capabilities."
Read more: Ukraine to Receive 20 'African' Bastion Armored Vehicles from France
Had a long and detailed conversation with President of France @EmmanuelMacron on the current situation. Thanked for the decision to transfer light tanks and Bastion APCs to Ukraine, as well as for intensifying work with partners in the same direction. 1/2— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 4, 2023
The detailed information comes from Reuters journalist Idrees Ali, he stated the "light tanks" in question are the French AMX-10RC armored combat vehicles, with a reference to a French official.
The terms and quantities of the delivery are not disclosed, but the talks on supplying other types of armored equipment are continuing.
As for the vehicles promised by France, we should recall that since 2020, France has been decommissioning its AMX-10RC light wheeled tanks, and by September 2022, the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment of the French Foreign Legion had been fully mounted on EBRC Jaguar in replacement of the AMX-10RC.
The AMX-10RC is a 16-ton vehicle on a six-wheel armored chassis. It uses GIAT F2 105mm gun as its main armament and two 7.62mm machine guns – one coaxial and one on superstructure. The crew is four people.
Throughout more than 40 years of service, the AMX-10RC has undergone many upgrades ranging from improved armor to optical equipment. The modern iteration of this vehicle represented in the French armed forces is the AMX 10 RCR Separ modernized version.
Although defined as a reconnaissance vehicle, being equipped with a 105mm gun makes the AMX-10RC basically a wheeled tank. However, despite the standard 105mm caliber, the F2 gun is not unified to use the other types of 105mm NATO ordnance but utilizes its own ammunition instead. This flaw derives from the vehicle's size limits and recoil compensation.
But most importantly, it has a prominent cross-country ability with good speed values (road 60 km/h, and off-road 15 km/h). Also, its relatively small weight allows for air transportation.
As for the total number of AMX-10RC in the French Army, according to the Military Balance handbook, there were 245 of these still in service as of 2022. The French Army named figure 248 in June 2022. That gives a reason to believe France will be able to provide at least a few dozen such "wheeled tanks" for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
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