AMX-VCI

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AMX-VCI
An AMX-VTP in the Latrun Tank Museum (Israel)

An AMX-VTP in the Latrun Tank Museum (Israel)
General properties
crew 3 + 10 (commander, gunner, driver, 10 infantrymen)
length 5.70 m
width 2.51 m
height depending on the design
Dimensions 12,000 kg (combat weight)
Armor and armament
Armor 25 mm max.
Main armament depending on the design
agility
drive 8-cylinder petrol engine SOFAM
250 PS (186 kW)
suspension Torsion bar
Top speed 65 km / h on the road
Power / weight 16.6 hp / t
Range 500 km
Rear view of the Modèle B

The AMX-VCI ( V ehicule de C ombat d ' I nfanterie) was an armored personnel carrier (sometimes also called AMX-VTP - Vehicule du Transport de Personnel ) from French manufacture, which was also used by other countries.

Demands of the French military for a successor model of itself still in use American M-3 - half-track vehicle led in 1955 to the beginning of the development work for the AMX-VTP

The company "Atelier de Construction Roanne", which delivered the first vehicle in 1960, received the order. A total of 3566 copies were made, of which 1883 were delivered to Belgium and the Netherlands . In France , the AMX-VTP was replaced by the AMX-10 from 1973 .

description

For reasons of efficiency, the chassis of the AMX-13 tank destroyer was used, the hull of which was extended by 90 cm to the rear and a box-shaped structure. This was about 2/3 vertical, with the upper third forming a slope running inwards to the roof. In the roof there were two flaps arranged one behind the other, which were divided lengthways and which could be set up against one another. On each side there were four openings for the rifles of the infantrymen. In the rear, the vehicle had two outward-opening swing doors, each of which also had a reject opening for the two rear infantrymen. The driver sat in front on the left, behind him the machine gunner. To the right of it sat the commander of the vehicle. Ten infantrymen sat back to back in the crew room. The engine and transmission were in the front right in the tub next to the driver. This front department was sealed off at the rear. The driver's hatch had three corner mirrors , the middle of which could be exchanged for an infrared night vision device.

The tank had front-wheel drive and was equipped with an untensioned hinge chain. The five rollers were rubber padded, as was the chain, which was designed as a combination chain and consisted of 85 chain links. There was also a hydraulic shock absorber on the front and rear rollers. There were four support rollers. The armor provided protection against infantry weapon fire and fragmentation.

The armament of the first version of the armored personnel carrier consisted of a small turret, in which a machine gun of the caliber 7.62 mm was housed. The turret was removed in the subsequent version and the machine gun was exchanged for a 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine gun in an open ring mount. The last version of the armored personnel carrier then received a flat turret with six angle mirrors and an externally arranged, internally directed 20 mm automatic cannon.

The basic version of the vehicle had no NBC protection. The fording ability was limited to 1.0 meters.

AMX-13 VTT

As far as the vehicles with the CAFL 38 turret were equipped with a 7.5 mm machine gun (Arme Automatique Modèle 1952) or an armored mount Giat CB 127 with a Browning M2 , they were designated as AMX-13 VTT (véhicule de transport de troupe ) designated.

Model variants

Dutch newsreel video showing AMX-CVI and AMX-13 at a screening in 1963

A total of eleven versions were produced on the VTP chassis:

  • Model A: AMX-VCI infantry fighting vehicle with 7.62 mm MG in the turret
  • Modèle B: AMX-VCI infantry fighting vehicle with 12.7 mm MG in ring mount
  • Modèle C: Armored personnel carrier / command tank AMX-VCI with 20 mm on-board cannon
  • Modèle D: Artillery fire control vehicle
  • Modèle E: mortar carrier
  • Modèle F: tank destroyer with ENTAC
  • Modèle G: armored recovery vehicles
  • Modèle H: Pioneer tank with crane, dozer and winch
  • Modèle J: tank destroyer with SS-11
  • Modèle K: TOW missile tank destroyer (Netherlands)
  • Modèle L: artillery radar carrier

literature

Remarks

  1. ↑ In the Belgian army, the gunner was also the vehicle commander; the leader of the rifle group was housed to his right
  2. ↑ d. H. the chain pads could be removed so that the chain became a battle chain