See the French AMX-10 fighting vehicle Ukrainian troops are putting to the test
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- France sent dozens of tank-killing armored vehicles to Ukraine to counter Russia's invasion.
- The vehicles were designed for recon and fire support but were ineffective on Ukraine's front lines.
- Instead, Ukraine repurposed the so-called "light tanks" as self-propelled artillery.
France is among several Western nations aiding Ukraine with both training and weaponry in a bid to turn the tide in its nearly three-year-long war with Russia.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, France has delivered military equipment and weaponry valuing more than 2.6 billion euros, in addition to training nearly 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers, according to the country's defense ministry.
Over the last few months, a French military task force trained a brigade of Ukrainian troops on effective fighting tactics and how to use French-supplied military weaponry, including the tank-destroying AMX-10 armored vehicle.
French and Ukrainian officials have referred to the AMX-10 as a "light tank," but it lacks the large-caliber armament and tracks typically equipped on tanks. Its light aluminum armor left it vulnerable to Russian artillery.
Better described as an armored reconnaissance vehicle, Ukraine initially struggled to effectively use the AMX-10 in its frontline defenses, instead adapting the vehicle's operations to the Ukrainian battlefield.
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Hailed for its tank-killing capabilities and operational flexibility, France sent Ukraine more than three dozen AMX-10RC armored vehicles to bolster its frontline defenses.
Developed in the late 1970s, the so-called "wheeled tank" was designed for reconnaissance and close-fire support. It was used to scout and identify enemy positions while armed to rapidly fire on hostile threats.
The 30-foot, 18-ton armored vehicle has a range of about 500 miles and travels at speeds of about 37 mph on roads and about 9 mph off-road; it has less off-road maneuverability than tracked vehicles like tanks.
After about a decade of service, France stopped producing the AMX-10RC in favor of more advanced combat vehicles like the ERBC Jaguar, an armored scout vehicle armed with two anti-tank missiles and a 40mm gun.
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The AMX-10 has a turret with two 7.62mm machine guns and a 105mm cannon, which is powerful enough to destroy a tank at close range.
Ukrainian forces operate both the AMX-10RC and AMX-10RCR, an improved variant of the armored vehicle featuring upgraded ceramic armor, more advanced optronics systems like thermal sights, and a self-defense system that automatically launches smoke grenades and decoys.
The AMX-10 can carry a crew of four people β a machine commander, a gunner, a loader, and a driver.
It can carry up to 38 shells for its main gun and 4,000 rounds for its machine guns. An AMX-10 crew featured on Ukraine's state-run Army TV said the vehicle's rate of fire can range from five to 12 rounds per minute, depending on the loader's efficiency.
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Ukrainian troops initially struggled to integrate the AMX-10RC into their frontline strategy. The vintage armored vehicle's light aluminum armor left it vulnerable in high-intensity conflict zones, especially against Russia's more advanced artillery and defense systems.
Instead, Ukrainian forces took advantage of the wheeled platform's maneuverability and repurposed the armored fighting vehicles as self-propelled artillery that could engage hostile targets from afar.
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Army TV, run by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, captured the AMX-10's capabilities in action in a video posted last week.
While filming a segment aboard the AMX-10, the Ukrainian soldiers and the television crew came under attack by a Russian drone. The personnel and TV crew weren't harmed, and the vehicle was not damaged.
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In September, thousands of Ukrainian troops β most of whom had only a few weeks of basic training β were sent to eastern and southern France to hone their skills on the battlefield against Russia.
Named "Anne of Kyiv" after the former Ukrainian princess who became a queen of France, French authorities said the brigade will eventually consist of up to 4,500 troops specializing in infantry battalions, engineering units, artillery teams, and other roles.
The newly trained brigade is set to be armed with various French-supplied military assets and weaponry, including armored vehicles, artillery cannons, and anti-tank and antiaircraft missile systems.
A military task force of about 1,500 French soldiers trained Ukraine's troops on effective fighting strategies and skills and how to use and maintain the French-supplied equipment. Over 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers completed the training in France in late November.
"They have improved a lot," a French colonel told the Associated Press. "Now, they are able to fight. They are able to maneuver. They are able to use the different specialists and to use the different equipment they will have on the battlefield."
