AMX-VCI
Encyclopedia
The AMX-VCI is one of the many variants of the French AMX-13
light tank. It was the front line APC
of the French Army
until replaced by the AMX-10P
.
, producing a vehicle that can be seen as an early example of the infantry fighting vehicle
.
Variants=
The AMX-13 VCI itself was the basis for a number of variants:
(SLA) militia in February 1984 upon the defeat of the Lebanese government forces by Shia Muslim and Druze
militias. The captured vehicles were quickly pressed into service by the SLA, who used them until the collapse of the militia in the wake of the Israeli withdrawal of April 2000
.
VCIs up-armed with US M-46 106mm recoilless rifles were later employed by Lebanese Army General
Michel Aoun
’s loyalist troops in the battles against his Christian rivals of the Lebanese Forces
(LF) at East Beirut in February 1990.
: Belgian Army
successor to the M75 armored personnel carrier AMX-13 mod.56 VTT (305 vechicles), AMX-13 mod.56 PC (72 Vechicles), AMX-13 mod.56 Cargo (58 vechicles), AMX-13 mod.56 Mor (90 Vechicles), AMX-13 mod.56 MILAN (86 Vechicles) and AMX-13 mod.56 ENTAC (30 Vechicles). Replaced by the M113A1-B and the AIFV-B
. : VTT/VCA and command post versions in service with the Cypriot National Guard
.: Ecuadorian Army
: French Army
, replaced by the AMX-10P
.: Indonesian Army
in duty 200: in service with the Lebanese Army from surplus French Army
stocks between 1983-1990.: Mexican Army
: Dutch Army: Qatar Armed Forces (Army): Sudan People's Armed Forces: Venezuelan Army: United Arab Emirates Army
AMX-13
The AMX-13 is a French light tank produced from 1953 to 1985. It served with the French Army and was exported to over twenty-five other nations...
light tank. It was the front line APC
Armoured personnel carrier
An armoured personnel carrier is an armoured fighting vehicle designed to transport infantry to the battlefield.APCs are usually armed with only a machine gun although variants carry recoilless rifles, anti-tank guided missiles , or mortars...
of the French Army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
until replaced by the AMX-10P
AMX-10P
The AMX-10P is a French infantry fighting vehicle. It was developed after 1965 to replace the AMX-VCI in French service, and the first prototypes were completed in 1968. It has NBC protection and amphibious capabilities, with hydro jets to swim in water...
.
History
Produced to the extent of some 3,000 vehicles from 1957, it was initially produced as the AMX-13 VTT carrying ten infantrymen and armed with an AA-52 7.5 mm machine gun or 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine gun in an open mounting. In the final versions this had climbed to a turret equipped with a 20mm light autocannonAutocannon
An autocannon or automatic cannon is a rapid-fire projectile weapon firing a shell as opposed to the bullet fired by a machine gun. Autocannons often have a larger caliber than a machine gun . Usually, autocannons are smaller than a field gun or other artillery, and are mechanically loaded for a...
, producing a vehicle that can be seen as an early example of the infantry fighting vehicle
Infantry fighting vehicle
An infantry fighting vehicle , also known as a mechanized infantry combat vehicle , is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to carry infantry into battle and provide fire support for them...
.
Variants=
The AMX-13 VCI itself was the basis for a number of variants:
- AMX-VTP: Original APC variant armed with open-mount light machine-gun
- AMX-VTT (AMX-VCI): APC fitted with turret mounted light machine-gun
- AMX-LT: VTT based artillery fire controlFire-control systemA fire-control system is a number of components working together, usually a gun data computer, a director, and radar, which is designed to assist a weapon system in hitting its target. It performs the same task as a human gunner firing a weapon, but attempts to do so faster and more...
vehicle - AMX-PC: VTT based command Post
- AMX-VCA: VTT based 155 mm Support Vehicle designed to accompany the Mk F3 SPH
- AMX-VCG: Combat engineer version
- AMX-VCI 12.7: Version with 50 calibre (12.7 mm) HMG used by France and the Netherlands
- AMX-VCI M-56: Fitted with Canon de 20 mm
- AMX-VCPM de 81: VTT-based 81 mm Mortar Carrier
- AMX-VCPM de 120: VTT-based 120 mm Mortar Carrier
- AMX-VCTB : VTT-based Ambulance
- AMX-VTT avec tourelle NA2: Fitted with ATGM launcher
- AMX-VTT ROLAND: Roland SPAAML
- AMX-VTT Version 1987: Modernised version with all the tank automotive improvements
- AMX-VTT with Minotaur Mine System: Minotaur scatterable mine-laying system fitted on rear
- AMX-13 RATAC: VTT-based RATAC ground surveillanceSurveillanceSurveillance is the monitoring of the behavior, activities, or other changing information, usually of people. It is sometimes done in a surreptitious manner...
radarRadarRadar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
vehicle - AMX DOZER: bulldozer blade equipped version
- AMX-13 VCPC: ArgentinianArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
Army version of the AMX-13 VCI - AMX-13 mod.56 VCI: BelgianBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
Army version with a .30 Browning mounted in a CALF38 turret. - AMX-13 mod.56 [81 mm mortar carrier]: Belgian Army version
- AMX-13 mod.56 [command post]: Belgian Army version
- AMX-13 mod.56 [ENTAC atgm]: Belgian Army version with rear-mounted ENTACENTACEntac or MGM-32A was a French MCLOS wire-guided Anti-tank missile. Developed in the early 1950s, the missile entered service with the French army in 1957...
missile launcher - AMX-13 mod.56 [cargo]: Belgian Army version
- AMX-VTT TOW: DutchNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Army version with TOWBGM-71 TOWThe BGM-71 TOW is an anti-tank missile. "BGM" is a weapon classification that stands for "Multiple Environment , Surface-Attack , Missile ". "TOW" is an acronym that stands for "Tube-launched, Optically-tracked, Wire command data link, guided missile"...
launcher on cupola - AMX-GWT (GeWonden Transport): Dutch army version of the VCTB
Combat history
A total of 30 AMX-VCI were reportedly delivered to the Lebanese Army in May 1983, with a number of them being seized by the pro-Israeli South Lebanon ArmySouth Lebanon Army
The South Lebanon Army , also "South Lebanese Army," was a Lebanese militia during the Lebanese Civil War. After 1979, the militia operated in southern Lebanon under the authority of Saad Haddad's Government of Free Lebanon...
(SLA) militia in February 1984 upon the defeat of the Lebanese government forces by Shia Muslim and Druze
Druze
The Druze are an esoteric, monotheistic religious community, found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, which emerged during the 11th century from Ismailism. The Druze have an eclectic set of beliefs that incorporate several elements from Abrahamic religions, Gnosticism, Neoplatonism...
militias. The captured vehicles were quickly pressed into service by the SLA, who used them until the collapse of the militia in the wake of the Israeli withdrawal of April 2000
April 2000
April 2000 was the fourth month of 2000. It began on a Saturday and ended after 30 days on a Sunday.-Portal:Current events:This is an archived version of Wikipedia's Current events Portal from April 2000....
.
VCIs up-armed with US M-46 106mm recoilless rifles were later employed by Lebanese Army General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Michel Aoun
Michel Aoun
Michel Naim Aoun is a former Lebanese Army Commander and he is one of the allies of Hezbollah. From 22 September 1988 to 13 October 1990, he has served as Prime Minister of the legal one of two rival governments that contended for power. He declared "The Liberation War" against the Syrian...
’s loyalist troops in the battles against his Christian rivals of the Lebanese Forces
Lebanese Forces
The Lebanese Forces is a Lebanese political party. Founded as a militia by Bachir Gemayel during the Lebanese Civil War, the movement fought as the main militia within the Christian-dominated Lebanese Front...
(LF) at East Beirut in February 1990.
Operators
: Argentine ArmyArgentine Army
The Argentine Army is the land armed force branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic and the senior military service of the country.- History :...
: Belgian Army
Belgian Army
The Land Component is organised using the concept of capacities, whereby units are gathered together according to their function and material. Within this framework, there are five capacities: the command capacity, the combat capacity, the support capacity, the services capacity and the training...
successor to the M75 armored personnel carrier AMX-13 mod.56 VTT (305 vechicles), AMX-13 mod.56 PC (72 Vechicles), AMX-13 mod.56 Cargo (58 vechicles), AMX-13 mod.56 Mor (90 Vechicles), AMX-13 mod.56 MILAN (86 Vechicles) and AMX-13 mod.56 ENTAC (30 Vechicles). Replaced by the M113A1-B and the AIFV-B
AIFV
The AIFV is a tracked light armored vehicle which serves as an infantry fighting vehicle in the armies of several countries. It is a development of the M113A1 armored personnel carrier.-History:...
. : VTT/VCA and command post versions in service with the Cypriot National Guard
Cypriot National Guard
The Cypriot National Guard , also known as the "Greek Cypriot National Guard" or simply as "National Guard", is the combined arms military force of the Republic of Cyprus...
.: Ecuadorian Army
Ecuadorian Army
The Ecuadorian Army is the land component of the Ecuadorian Armed Forces. Its 24,135 soldiers are sensibly deployed in relation to its military doctrine...
: French Army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
, replaced by the AMX-10P
AMX-10P
The AMX-10P is a French infantry fighting vehicle. It was developed after 1965 to replace the AMX-VCI in French service, and the first prototypes were completed in 1968. It has NBC protection and amphibious capabilities, with hydro jets to swim in water...
.: Indonesian Army
Indonesian Army
The Indonesian Army , the land component of the Indonesian Armed Forces, has an estimated strength of 328,517 regular personnel. The force's history began in 1945 when the Tentara Keamanan Rakyat "Civil Security Forces" served as paramilitary and police.Since the nation's independence struggle,...
in duty 200: in service with the Lebanese Army from surplus French Army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
stocks between 1983-1990.: Mexican Army
Mexican Army
The Mexican Army is the combined land and air branch and largest of the Mexican Military services; it also is known as the National Defense Army. It is famous for having been the first army to adopt and use an automatic rifle, , in 1899, and the first to issue automatic weapons as standard issue...
: Dutch Army: Qatar Armed Forces (Army): Sudan People's Armed Forces: Venezuelan Army: United Arab Emirates Army
United Arab Emirates Army
As part of the military of the United Arab Emirates the United Arab Emirates Ground Force is responsible for land operations.-History:In 1971 the Trucial Oman Scouts were renamed Union Defence Force upon the formation of United Arab Emirates and consisted of 2,500 regular military personnel...
Non-state operators
- South Lebanon ArmySouth Lebanon ArmyThe South Lebanon Army , also "South Lebanese Army," was a Lebanese militia during the Lebanese Civil War. After 1979, the militia operated in southern Lebanon under the authority of Saad Haddad's Government of Free Lebanon...
: ex-Lebanese Army vehicles in service between 1984-2000.