The AMX-13 is a French

light tank A light tank is a Tank classification, tank variant initially designed for rapid movements in and out of combat, to outmaneuver heavier tanks. It is smaller with thinner vehicle armour, armor and a less powerful tank gun, main gun, tailored for ...

produced from 1952 to 1987. It served with the French Army, as the Char 13t-75 Modèle 51, and was exported to more than 26 other nations. Named after its initial weight of 13 tonnes, and featuring a tough and reliable chassis,''The Complete Guide to Tanks and Armoured Fighting Vehicles'', it was fitted with an

oscillating turret An oscillating turret is a form of gun turret#Armoured fighting vehicles, turret for armoured fighting vehicles, both tanks and Armored car (military), armoured cars. The turret is unusual in being made of two hinged parts. elevation (ballistics) ...

built by GIAT Industries (now

Nexter KNDS France (formerly known as Nexter, GIAT Industries or ''Groupement des Industries de l'Armée de Terre'', Army Industries Group) is a French government-owned weapons manufacturer, based in Versailles. The company was wholly government-owne ...

) with revolver-type magazines, which were also used on the Austrian

SK-105 Kürassier The SK-105 ''Kürassier'' is an Austrian light tank armed with a rifled 105 mm gun in an oscillating turret. It is estimated that over 700 have been produced, with initial deliveries in 1971. It shares its CN 105-57 main gun with the French ...

. Including prototypes and export versions, over a hundred variants exist, including

self-propelled gun Self-propelled artillery (also called locomotive artillery) is artillery equipped with its own propulsion system to move toward its firing position. Within the terminology are the self-propelled gun, self-propelled howitzer, self-propelled mo ...

anti-aircraft Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) is the counter to aerial warfare and includes "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It encompasses surface-based, subsurface ( submarine-launched), and air-ba ...

systems, APCs, and

ATGM An anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), anti-tank missile, anti-tank guided weapon (ATGW) or anti-armor guided weapon is a guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy heavily armored military vehicles. ATGMs range in size from shoulder ...

versions.

Development

The tank was designed at the Atelier de Construction d'Issy-les-Moulineaux (AMX) in 1946 to meet a requirement for an air-portable vehicle to support paratroopers. The prototype ran from 1948. The compact

chassis A chassis (, ; plural ''chassis'' from French châssis ) is the load-bearing framework of a manufactured object, which structurally supports the object in its construction and function. An example of a chassis is a vehicle frame, the underpart ...

had

torsion bar suspension A torsion bar suspension, also known as a torsion spring suspension, is any vehicle suspension that uses a torsion bar as its main weight-bearing spring. One end of a long metal bar is attached firmly to the vehicle chassis; the opposite end ...

with five road wheels and two return rollers; the engine runs the length of the tank on the right side, with the driver on the left. It features an uncommon two-part FL-10

, where the gun is fixed to the turret and the entire upper turret changes elevation. The turret is set to the rear of the vehicle and holds the commander and gunner. AMX-13 drum magazine

The original 75 mm

SA 50 The 75 SA 50 (; ) also called 75 Mle 50 or CN 75-50 is a French 75 mm high-velocity rifled gun. Although originally designed for the AMX-13 light tank, the SA 50 has also been used on the EBR wheeled reconnaissance vehicle and foreign medi ...

gun was loaded by an automatic loading system fed by two six-round magazines located in on either side of the automatic loader in the turret's bustle. The 12 rounds available in the drum magazines meant that the crew could engage targets quickly; however, once those rounds were expended, the vehicle commander and gunner could either manually refill them from within the turret or retreat to cover and reload shells from outside the vehicle through hatches above. Swedish Tank Trials French AMX-13 1952

Production began at ARE (Atelier de Construction Roanne) in 1952, with the first tanks delivered the following year. In 1964, production was transferred to Creusot-Loire at Chalon-sur-Saône, as ARE switched to the production of the

AMX-30 The AMX-30 is a French main battle tank designed by Ateliers de construction d'Issy-les-Moulineaux (AMX, then Nexter, GIAT) and first delivered to the French Army in August 1966. The first five tanks were issued to the 501st ''Régiment de Chars ...

MBT, and the numbers produced declined significantly. After 1966, AMX-13s in French service were up-gunned with a 90 mm

CN-90-F3 The 75 SA 50 (; ) also called 75 Mle 50 or CN 75-50 is a French 75 mm high-velocity rifled gun. Although originally designed for the AMX-13 light tank, the SA 50 has also been used on the EBR wheeled reconnaissance vehicle and foreign medi ...

L/52 medium pressure gun firing more effective

high-explosive anti-tank High-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) is the effect of a shaped charge explosive that uses the Munroe effect to penetrate heavy armor. The warhead functions by having an explosive charge collapse a metal liner inside the warhead into a high-velocity ...

(HEAT) munitions; this variant was designated AMX-13/90. The F3 was similar to the DEFA D921/F1 low-pressure gun developed for the

Panhard AML-90 The Panhard AML (''automitrailleuse légère'', or "light armoured car") is an Armored car (military), armoured car with reconnaissance capability. Designed by Panhard on a lightly armoured Four-wheel drive, 4×4 chassis, it weighs an estimated 5 ...

, and even utilized the same ammunition, though it possessed a significantly higher muzzle velocity. By the late 1960s, an export model of the AMX-13 was also available with an even larger 105 mm CN-105 L/57 gun in a FL-12 turret. Although there were many variants on the turret, the basic chassis was almost unchanged until 1985, when changes including a new

diesel engine The diesel engine, named after the German engineer Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which Combustion, ignition of diesel fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to Mechanics, mechanical Compr ...

, fully

automatic transmission An automatic transmission (AT) or automatic gearbox is a multi-speed transmission (mechanics), transmission used in motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving conditions. The 1904 ...

and new

hydropneumatic suspension Hydropneumatic suspension is a type of motor vehicle suspension system, invented by Paul Magès, produced by Citroën, and fitted to Citroën cars, as well as being used under licence by other car manufacturers. Similar systems are also widely u ...

were introduced. Production halted with the AMX-13 Model 1987. After-sales support and upgrades are still offered through GIAT Industries (now Nexter). The AMX-13 tank was phased out of service with the French Army in the 1980s. Current French armoured vehicles with a similar role are the ERC 90 Sagaie and the AMX 10 RC.

Additional characteristics

*Ground clearance: *Fording: *Vertical obstacle *Trench: *Gradient 60% *Side slope: 60% *NBC system: None *Night vision: Optional

Service history

France

During the Suez Crisis of 1956, the French Army used two sections of the 2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment's AMX-13 tanks in Port Fouad. The AMX-13s also saw limited action in the Algerian War, largely due to the rough terrain in most of Algeria and much of the fighting with the anti-colonial guerillas being in the difficult terrain of the countryside. France also fielded a number of AMX-13s fitted with US Chaffee light tank turrets in the fighting in Algeria.

Argentina

The Argentinian Army fielded locally-built versions of both the AMX-13-105 and the

AMX-VCI 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. It is still used by some countries, for example Mexico, where it goes under the name of DNC-1 ...

armoured personnel carrier. Argentine AMX-13s were not deployed during the

Falklands War The Falklands War () was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British Overseas Territories, British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and Falkland Islands Dependenci ...

. Senior commanders considered that off-road conditions in the

Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands (; ), commonly referred to as The Falklands, is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and from Cape Dub ...

were too

bog A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and musk ...

gy for all of the armoured vehicles available at the time. The newly developed

Tanque Argentino Mediano The ''Tanque Argentino Mediano'' (TAM; English language, English: ''Argentine Medium Tank'') is a main battle tank in service with the Argentine Army, can be called an MBT because TAM already has the appropriate standardization for an MBT even t ...

(TAM) was not yet available. For on-road operations in the islands, Argentina's

Panhard AML The Panhard AML (''automitrailleuse légère'', or "light armoured car") is an armoured car with reconnaissance capability. Designed by Panhard on a lightly armoured 4×4 chassis, it weighs an estimated 5.5 tonnes, and is thus suitable for airbo ...

-90 wheeled fighting vehicles were considered more suitable than the AMX-13. The higher speed and other aspects of the Panhard's performance also represented acceptable trade-offs for its smaller (90 mm) main gun, relative to the AMX-13 (105 mm).

Dominican Republic

AMX-13s saw service among both the loyalists and the rebels during the

Dominican Civil War The Dominican Civil War (), also known as the April Revolution (), took place between April 24, 1965, and September 3, 1965, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. It started when civilian and military supporters of the overthrown democraticall ...

of 1965. Two AMX-13s used by the rebel forces were destroyed by

M50 Ontos Ontos, officially the Rifle, Multiple 106 mm, Self-propelled, M50, was an American light armored tracked anti-tank vehicle developed in the 1950s. It mounted six 106 mm manually loaded M40 recoilless rifles as its main armament, which c ...

of the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

during the subsequent American intervention in the Dominican Republic.

Israel

The AMX-13 was Israel's first modern tank and was purchased at a time when France was the only country willing to openly sell arms to Israel. By 1956, Israel had ordered 180 AMX-13 light tanks as part of an agreement to reinforce Israel's military and to maintain the balance in Israel's favour after the

Egyptian–Czechoslovak arms deal The Egyptian''-''Czechoslovak arms deal was an agreement between the USSR and Egypt led by Gamal Abdel Nasser, announced in September 1955, to supply Egypt with more than $83 million worth of modern Soviet weaponry, through Czechoslovakia. The deal ...

. Besides buying whole AMX-13s, Israel also purchased a quantity of SA 50 75mm tank guns for upgunning some of the American

M4 Sherman The M4 Sherman, officially medium tank, M4, was the medium tank most widely used by the United States and Western Allies in World War II. The M4 Sherman proved to be reliable, relatively cheap to produce, and available in great numbers. I ...

tanks. Due to the shortage of tanks, the IDF used them as main battle tanks and employed them to form a tank battalion in the 7th Armored Brigade. IDF reconnaissance units did not use AMX-13s. By 1967, Israel had less than 100 AMX-13s and formed three AMX-13 battalions, all of which fought actively on all fronts during the

Six-Day War The Six-Day War, also known as the June War, 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states, primarily United Arab Republic, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan from 5 to 10June ...

. The first battalion moved south in the West Bank area through Taluzi and Tubas and occupied Nablus (against Jordan). The second, attacking Egypt, captured the strongpoints protecting the Gaza Strip and the coastal road in the north of the Sinai Peninsula. The third, finally, assaulted the Golan Heights in southwestern Syria. The IDF realised that the AMX-13 tank was too lightly armoured and had a weak main gun. Losses were heavy at places like Rafah Junction and Jiradi Pass during the Six-Day War with many destroyed by heavier Arab-fielded Soviet armour, such as T-55 MBTs and IS-3 (tank) heavy tanks. Subsequently, Israel gradually phased out all of its AMX-13s following the Six-Day War, with most ending up being sold to the then newly established

Singapore Army The Singapore Army is the Ground warfare, land Military branch, service branch of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). The largest of the Singapore Armed Forces#Organisation, four branches of the SAF, the Singapore Army traces its origins to the Inf ...

between 1968 and 1969.

India

During the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War, India deployed AMX-13 Tanks to oppose the initial armour onslaught of

Operation Grand Slam Operation Grand Slam was a key military operation of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. It refers to a plan drawn up by the Pakistan Army in May 1965, that consisted of an attack on the vital Akhnoor Bridge in Jammu and Kashmir, India. The br ...

in the Chhamb-Jaurian area and also in the Battle of Asal Uttar. During the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War in Chhamb- Jaurian in Jammu & Kashmir, the 20 Lancers, equipped with AMX-13 tanks was under command of the 10th Infantry Division. Pakistan's surprise attack on 1 September,

, fell on 191 Infantry Brigade which was supported by "C" Squadron of the regiment, under Maj Bhaskar Roy. The Pakistani armoured attack comprised two regiments, one of

M48 Patton The M48 Patton is an American first-generation main battle tank (MBT) introduced in February 1952, being designated as the 90mm Gun M48, armored, full-tracked, combat vehicle of the medium-gun tank class. It was designed as a replacement for ...

medium tanks and one of M36B2 tank destroyers. The attack began at 0805 hours and was strongly resisted. During the initial phases of the attack, Roy destroyed six Pattons, and three recoilless guns and captured a jeep. A second attack was launched by Pakistani armour at 1100 hours and contested by the AMX-13s of 20 Lancers, which despite being outgunned and outnumbered, destroyed a total 13 tanks that day and prevented the encirclement of 191 Infantry Brigade. The regiment later fought in the defence of Jaurian under 41 Infantry Brigade. For the defence of Chhamb-Jaurian, the regiment was awarded a theatre honour and Maj Bhaskar Roy was awarded

Maha Vir Chakra The Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) () is the second highest military decoration in India, after the Param Vir Chakra, and is awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea or in the air. It replaced the B ...

for his leadership in this action. In the Battle of Assal Uttar, on 8–10 September 1965 in Asal Uttar ( Khem Karan,

Punjab, India Punjab () is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. Forming part of the larger Punjab, Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, the state is bordered by the States and union territories of India, Indian states ...

), a regiment of AMX-13s — 8th Light Cavalry — along with a regiment each of Centurions and M4 Shermans fought off and defeated a Pakistani armoured offensive comprising five regiments of M48 Patton tanks and one regiment of

M24 Chaffee The M24 Chaffee (officially light tank M24) was an American light tank used during the later part of World War II; it was also used in post–World War II conflicts including the Korean War, and by the French in the Algerian War, War in Algeri ...

tanks.

Indonesia

The

Indonesian Army The Indonesian Army ( (TNI-AD), ) is the army, land branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. It has an estimated strength of 300,400 active personnel. The history of the Indonesian Army has its roots in 1945 when the (TKR) "People's Se ...

received 175 AMX-13/75, 32

(including 4 command variants and six ARV variants), and 10 AMX-13 PDP from France in 1960, which were delivered in 1960–1962. Indonesia then bought around 100 to 180 ex-Royal Netherlands Army AMX-VCI in 1976, which were modernized and delivered in 1977–1978. The last batch of AMX-13 family were bought in 1980–1981, when the Army acquired 130 second-hand but modernized AMX-13/105 from the Netherlands. The AMX-13s first saw combat against the

30 September Movement The Thirtieth of September Movement (, also known as G30S, and by the syllabic abbreviation Gestapu for ''Gerakan September Tiga Puluh'', Thirtieth of September Movement, also unofficially called Gestok, for ''Gerakan Satu Oktober'', or Fir ...

in 1965, when they were deployed to secure Suharto's control of

Jakarta Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...

against an alleged coup by other generals'. AMX-13/75 tanks and the VCI variants participated in the 1975

Indonesian invasion of East Timor The Indonesian invasion of East Timor, known in Indonesia as Operation Lotus (), began on 7 December 1975 when the Indonesian military (ABRI/TNI) invaded East Timor under the pretext of anti-colonialism and anti-communism to overthrow the Fre ...

(known in Indonesia as ''Operasi Seroja''). Indonesian AMX-13s also participated in the 2003–2004 Indonesian offensive in Aceh. The AMX-13 gained momentary notoriety in Indonesian social media in September 2020, after an AMX-13 driver lost control when making a turn and ran over a street food vendor cart and four motorcycles. The accident happened on 10 September 2020 at around 11:00 WIB, at an intersection in Cipatat District,

West Bandung Regency West Bandung Regency () is a landlocked regency of West Java Province of Indonesia. It was established on 2 January 2007, after having been formerly part of Bandung Regency. The capital of this new regency is Ngamprah, an industrial district on ...

, during a 4th Cavalry Battalion company-level combat readiness exercise. No one was injured and the owners of the cart and vehicles were given compensation totalling 15.4 million rupiah.

Lebanon

The

Lebanese Army The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF; ), also known as the Lebanese Army (), is the national military of the Republic of Lebanon. It consists of three branches, the ground forces, the air force, and the navy. The motto of the Lebanese Armed Forces is ...

was an important user of the AMX-13 in the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

, purchasing 42 AMX-13/75s and 22 AMX-13/105s from France in 1972.Robinson, Lau and Gibeau, ''Images of War: The AMX 13 Light Tank, A Complete History – rare photographs from wartime archives'' (2018), p. 185. During the

Lebanese Civil War The Lebanese Civil War ( ) was a multifaceted armed conflict that took place from 1975 to 1990. It resulted in an estimated 150,000 fatalities and led to the exodus of almost one million people from Lebanon. The religious diversity of the ...

, the Lebanese AMX-13s saw extensive service in the hands of the regular Lebanese Army and various armed groups in and outside

Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...

between 1975 and 1990, following the collapse of the

Lebanese Armed Forces The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF; ), also known as the Lebanese Army (), is the national military of the Republic of Lebanon. It consists of three branches, the ground forces, the air force, and the navy. The motto of the Lebanese Armed Forces is ...

(LAF) structure in January 1976, and later again in February 1984 in the wake of the

Mountain War The Mountain War ( , ''Harb al-Jabal)'', also known as the War of the Mountain, was a subconflict between the Lebanese Civil War#Second phase of the war.2C 1982-1983, 1982–83 and the Lebanese Civil War#Third phase of the war.2C 1984-1989, 19 ...

. During this period, most of the regular Army's AMX-13s fell into the hands of the competing Christian-rightist

Lebanese Front The Lebanese Front was a coalition of mainly right-wing Lebanese Nationalist parties formed in 1976 by majority Christian groups during the Lebanese Civil War. It was intended to act as a reaction force to the Lebanese National Movement (LNM) ...

and Muslim-leftist

Lebanese National Movement The Lebanese National Movement (LNM; , ''Al-Harakat al-Wataniyya al-Lubnaniyya'') was a front of Leftist, pan-Arabist and Syrian nationalist parties and organizations active during the early years of the Lebanese Civil War, which supported ...

(LNM) militias or were taken way by dissident rebellious Lebanese Army factions. France later delivered an additional 13 AMX-13/90s to the regular Lebanese Army between 1978–1981 and again in 1984. Captured AMX-13s were employed by the Lebanese Arab Army (LAA), Army of Free Lebanon (AFL),

Kataeb Regulatory Forces The Kataeb Regulatory Forces – KRF () or Forces Régulatoires des Kataeb (FRK) in French language, French, were the military wing of the right-wing Christianity in Lebanon, Lebanese Christian Kataeb Party, otherwise known as the 'Phalange', fr ...

(KRF),

Tigers Militia The Tigers militia (Arabic: نمور الأحرار, transliterated: ''Numūr al-Aḥrar''; French: ''PNL "Lionceaux"''), also known as Tigers of the Liberals (Arabic: نمور الليبراليين‎, transliterated: ''Numūr al-Lībrāliyy� ...

Lebanese Forces The Lebanese Forces ( ') is a Lebanon, Lebanese Christianity in Lebanon, Christian-based political party and Lebanese Forces (militia), former militia during the Lebanese Civil War. It currently holds 19 of the 128 seats in Lebanon's Parliamen ...

(LF),

South Lebanon Army The South Lebanon Army or South Lebanese Army (SLA; , ), also known as the Lahad Army () or as the De Facto Forces (DFF), was a Christianity in Lebanon, Christian-dominated militia in Lebanon. It was founded by Lebanese military officer Saad H ...

(SLA),

Amal Movement The Amal Movement () is a Lebanese political party and militia affiliated mainly with the Shia community of Lebanon. It was founded by Musa al-Sadr and Hussein el-Husseini in 1974 as the "Movement of the Deprived." The party has been led by ...

, and the

People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the military of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Republic of China (PRC). It consists of four Military branch, services—People's Liberation Army Ground Force, Ground Force, People's ...

(PLA). Nearly all AMX-13s eventually were returned by the demobilized militias to the Lebanese Army between 1990 and 1993. Currently, none of the Lebanese AMX-13 light tanks is believed to remain operational. In July 2018, six of these withdrawn AMX-13 and various other former Lebanese Army military vehicles were dumped in the sea off the coast of

Sidon Sidon ( ) or better known as Saida ( ; ) is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast in the South Governorate, Lebanon, South Governorate, of which it is the capital. Tyre, Lebanon, Tyre, t ...

in southern Lebanon and used as part of an

artificial reef An artificial reef (AR) is a human-created freshwater or marine benthic structure. Typically built in areas with a generally featureless bottom to promote Marine biology#Reefs, marine life, it may be intended to control #Erosion prevention, erosio ...

Morocco

Morocco used some AMX-13s in the

Sand War The Sand War () was a border conflict between Algeria and Morocco fought from September 25 to October 30, 1963, although a formal peace treaty was not signed until February 20, 1964. It resulted largely from the Moroccan government's claim to ...

of 1963. Later on, they were engaged in the

Western Sahara conflict The Western Sahara conflict is an ongoing conflict between the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic/Polisario Front and the Morocco, Kingdom of Morocco. The conflict originated from an insurgency by the Polisario Front against Spanish colonial ...

. They were supplemented by the similar Austrian

light tank during that war.

Prototypes

* Char AMX-13 (2A):

Prototype A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and Software prototyping, software programming. A prototype ...

with 4 roadwheels and trailing idler * Char AMX-13 (2B): Prototype with 5 roadwheels and raised idler * Char AMX-13 (2C): Prototype with FL-10 turret and two support rollers * Char AMX-13 (2D): Prototype with 4 support rollers * Char AMX-13 (2E): Prototype with 3 support rollers and 90 mm gun * Char AMX-13 (2F): Prototype with 2 support rollers and, later, a thermal sleeve

Other prototypes

* AMX-13 avec tourelle: A14 Fitted with a German HS-30 turret * AMX-13/105: Fitted with a 105 mm howitzer barrel * AMX-13/75 (AMX-13e): Experimental variant with a short-barreled SA 49 75 mm in FL-11 oscillating turret * Char AMX-13 avec Canon 57 L/100: Prototype with a special gun * AMX-13 Twin 20 mm in a welded turret without a bustle * Char 48FCM: AKA Char 12T FCM, DCA de Quatre Canons de 20 mm—4 x 20 mm cannon in an FL-4 turret * DCA de 40 mm: AKA Char 13T DCA a 40 mm

Bofors AB Bofors ( , , ) is a former Swedish arms manufacturer which today is part of the British arms manufacturer BAE Systems. The name has been associated with the iron industry and artillery manufacturing for more than 350 years. History Locate ...

L/70 gun in a large faceted turret (DCA = Défense Contre Avions) * AMX-13 GTI: Improved suspension by Krauss-Maffei * AMX-13 THS: Prototype fitted with hydrostatic transmission * AMX-13: Fitted with Rapace 14 MBRL * AMX-13 HOT: Fitted with HOT ATGM launchers

Production variants

*AMX-Chaffee: Some initial vehicles were fitted with the turret of the

*AMX-13 TT Initial vehicles with the turret of the M24 Chaffee converted into a driver training tank (DTT). Gun removed. *AMX-13/75 Modèle 51: High-velocity

75 mm Gun in FL-10 turret, with four top rollers and revised stowage *AMX-13/75 Modèle 51 FL11: Low-recoil SA 49 75 mm gun in FL-11 turret as installed in

Panhard EBR The Panhard EBR (Panhard ''Engin Blindé de Reconnaissance'', French: Armored Reconnaissance Vehicle) is an armoured car designed by Panhard for the French Army and later used across the globe, notably by the French Army during the Algerian War ...

armoured car, with two top rollers *AMX-13 T75 (Char Lance SS-11): Fitted with SS.11 ATGM launchers *AMX-13 T75 avec TCA: Fitted with an electronic

guidance system A guidance system is a virtual or physical device, or a group of devices implementing a controlling the movement of a ship, aircraft, missile, rocket, satellite, or any other moving object. Guidance is the process of calculating the changes in pos ...

for the missiles (TCA stands for "télécommande automatique") *AMX-13/90 C90: FL-10 turret refitted with the CN 90 F3 90 mm gun *AMX-13/90 LRF: Fitted with a

laser rangefinder A laser rangefinder, also known as a laser telemeter or laser distance meter, is a rangefinder that uses a laser beam to determine the distance to an object. The most common form of laser rangefinder operates on the time of flight principle by ...

*AMX-13/105 Modèle 58: Fitted with a CN 105-57 105 mm Gun in an FL-12 turret (used by the

Argentine Army The Argentine Army () is the Army, land force branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic and the senior military service of Argentina. Under the Argentine Constitution, the president of Argentina is the commander-in-chief of the Armed For ...

and the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

) *AMX-13/105: Upgraded export version of the Modele 58 with a thermal sleeve and a revised hull front *AMX-13 Model 1987

Late production version

*AMX-13 DCA 30: SPAAG version with a retractable radar and two 30mm cannons fitted; 60 were produced beginning in 1969. (DCA = Défense Contre Avions) *AMX-13 raining Tank AMX-13 with the

turret Turret may refer to: * Turret (architecture), a small tower that projects above the wall of a building * Gun turret, a mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon * Optical microscope#Objective turret (revolver or revolving nose piece), Objective turre ...

removed; used for driver training *AMX-13 CD (Char de Depannage) Modèle 55 (AMX-D): Recovery version *AMX-13 PDP (Poseur De Pont) Modèle 57: Scissors-type bridgelayer

Modernisation packages

*Cockerill 90 mm Regunning Packaging: 90 mm up gunning package * Giat Industries upgrade with a Baudouin 6F 11 SRY diesel engine and an upgraded turret * Giat Industries Add-on Armour package installed on turret front/sides and glacis plate *NIMDA Upgrade Package: Israeli retrofit package * INDRA Amazon Fire Control System upgrade with thermal imaging and a laser rangefinder

International

AMX-13 Yonkav 4 Kodam III Siliwangi TNI-AD 4

; Indonesia *AMX-13/75 Modèle 51 (SM1) some were upgraded in 1995 with

Detroit Diesel Detroit Diesel Corporation (DDC) is an American diesel engine manufacturer headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. It is a subsidiary of Daimler Truck North America, which is itself a wholly owned subsidiary of the multinational Daimler Truck AG. ...

DDA GM6V-53T, ZF 5WG-180 Automatic Transmission, and

hydropneumatic Hydropneumatic devices (or hydro-pneumatic devices) are systems that operate using water and gas. The devices are used in various applications. Description A hydropneumatic device is a tool that functions by using water and gas. ''Hydropneumati ...

"Dunlopstrut" Suspension. Based on Singapore SM1 upgrade packages but without the upgraded gunner sight. *AMX-13/105 Modèle 58 (SM1) some were upgraded in 1995 with

DDA GM6V-53T, ZF 5WG-180 Automatic Transmission, and

"Dunlopstrut" Suspension. Based on Singapore SM1 upgrade packages but without the upgraded gunner sight. *AMX-13/105 Retrofit major modernization and upgrade program done by local defense firm PT. PINDAD featuring reworked front glacis to accommodate new diesel engine & transmission, new torsion bar suspension, updated FCS (laser range finder, thermal imager, day camera), new 105 mm gun ( GIAT CN 105 G1) and turret (

Steyr Steyr (; ) is a statutory city (Austria), statutory city, located in the Austrian federal state of Upper Austria. It is the administrative capital, though not part of Steyr-Land District. Steyr is Austria's 12th most populated town and the 3rd lar ...

JT-1 Oscillating turret) from SK-105 ''Kürassier''. ;Netherlands * AMX-13/FL-12: Dutch upgrade fitted with a

searchlight A searchlight (or spotlight) is an apparatus that combines an extremely luminosity, bright source (traditionally a carbon arc lamp) with a mirrored parabolic reflector to project a powerful beam of light of approximately parallel rays in a part ...

and

FN MAG The FN MAG (, , ) is a Belgian 7.62 mm calibre, 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, designed in the early 1950s at Fabrique Nationale de Herstal, Fabrique Nationale (FN) by Ernest Vervier. It has been used by more than 80 countries and it h ...

machine guns * AMX-13/FL-15: Dutch FL-12 version refitted with an FL-15 Turret ;Peru *AMX-13PA5 ''Escorpion'' Upgrade for a standard AMX-13/105 by the Peruvian designer Sergio Casanave, fitted with modern communications and four

anti-tank guided missiles An anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), anti-tank missile, anti-tank guided weapon (ATGW) or anti-armor guided weapon is a guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy heavily armored military vehicles. ATGMs range in size from shoulder- ...

. *AMX-13PA8 ''Escorpion-2'' Equipped with ''Dante'' fire-control system (a ballistic computer/laser range-finder/night vision/CCTV system). Four Ukrainian laser-guided Barrier R-2 anti-tank missiles and 7.62 mm and 12.7 mm machine guns were also proposed. ;Singapore AMX-13 ALB

*AMX-13S Rebuild of standard AMX-13/75 Modèle 51 (FL-10) by

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

prior to SM-1 upgrade. *AMX-13SM1 (Singapore Modernised 1): Singaporean upgrade with modern communications, a new diesel engine replacing the original petrol engine, improved transmissions/suspensions system, laser range-finder and night vision elbow upgrade by

ST Kinetics ST Engineering Land Systems Ltd (STELS), formerly known as ST Kinetics, is a strategic business area of ST Engineering and handles land systems and specialty vehicles. In 2000, ST Engineering acquired the Chartered Industries of Singapore (CIS) ...

. The 75 mm main gun remained unchanged. ; * ;Switzerland *Leichter Panzer 51: Swiss Army version ; * ; Venezuela *AMX-13V CLI upgraded AMX-13/90 for

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

n Army *AMX-13 AR-160'' Venezuelan MLRS version armed with IMI

LAR-160 The LAR-160 is a light artillery rocket (hence ''LAR'') with a 160mm calibre, a minimum range of 12 km and a maximum range of 45 km, from a multiple rocket launcher. Each standard launcher holds two 13 rocket Launch Pod Containers (LPC' ...

mm rockets *AMX-13M51 ''Ráfaga'' Venezuelan Army's AA version armed with two 40 mm cannons mounted on an M-4E1 turret ; *

APC

The AMX-13 was the basis of a family of APCs beginning with the AMX-VTT and culminating with the

. The APC chassis was itself the basis of a number of variants. * AMX-VTT *

Self-propelled howitzer

;105 mm

* AMX Mk 61 (AMX-105A) Automoteur de 105 du AMX-13 en casemate: 105 mm casemate SP *AMX Mk 61 (Netherlands) Dutch Army version with 30 calibre howitzer and Browning commander's MG *AMX Mk 62 (AMX-105B) prototype with 105 mm howitzer in a turret *AMX Mk 63 (AMX-105B, AMX Mk F2) prototype of Mk 62 with MG cupola fitted to turret ;155 mm * AMX Mk F3 (''obusier de 155 mm sur affut automoteur'' AMX-13 T, AMX-155) 155 mm SPH

Operators

AMX-13 (current)

*: 108 AMX-13/105s purchased from France between 1971-77. 25 in service as of 2024. *: 175 AMX-13/75 and 130 AMX-13/105 purchased from France and The Netherlands. 275 remain in service as of 2024. Scheduled for replacement by the PT Pindad Harimau jointly developed by Indonesia and Turkey. *: 108 tanks; 30 AMX-13/75s and 78 AMX-13/105s. 96 remain in service as of 2024. *: 40 AMX-13/75s and 31 AMX-13/90s purchased from France. 31 in service.

AMX-13 (former)

*: 44 AMX-13/75s. *: 58 AMX-13/105 and 2 AMX-13 PDP armoured bridge-layers *: 72 AMX-13/75s and 3 AMX-13 CD armoured recovery vehicles *: 555 AMX-13s *: 20 AMX-13/75s *: 5 AMX-13/75s *: 60 AMX-13/90s *: 15 AMX-13/75s *: 20 AMX-13/75sKolodziej, Edward A. "Making and Marketing Arms: The French Experience and Its Implications for the International System." ''Princeton University Press'', 2014. . pp 48–49. *: 4,300 (of all types) *: 8 AMX-13/75s *: 164 AMX-13/75s *: 100 AMX-13/75s *: 75 tanks; 42 AMX-13/75s, 13 AMX-13/90s and 22 AMX-13/105s *: 120 AMX-13/75s and 4 AMX-13 CD armoured recovery vehicles *: 56 AMX-13/75s; possibly purchased second-hand from Singapore *: 131 AMX-13/105s, as ''AMX-13 PRLTTK'' (''Pantserrups Lichte Tank'') and 34 AMX-13 PRB (''Pantserrups Berging'') armoured recovery vehicles. All retired in 1983 *: Operationalized some amounts of Captured Indian AMX-13/75s. *: 340 second-hand AMX-13/75s received (150 from Switzerland, 150 from India, 40 from Israel) *: 4 AMX-13 CD armoured recovery vehicles *: 200 AMX-13/75s *: 30 AMX-13/75s

In popular culture

The AMX-13 has made some major TV and film appearances, most notably in the 1984 French war film '' Les Morfalous'', where a Tunisian Army AMX-13/75 is mocked up as a German

Panzer IV The IV (Pz.Kpfw. IV), commonly known as the Panzer IV, is a German medium tank developed in the late 1930s and used extensively during the Second World War. Its ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz. 161. The Panzer IV was the most numer ...

medium tank serving with the

Afrika Korps The German Africa Corps (, ; DAK), commonly known as Afrika Korps, was the German expeditionary force in Africa during the North African campaign of World War II. First sent as a holding force to shore up the Italian defense of its Africa ...

. Some variants of the AMX-13 are present in the video game

War Thunder ''War Thunder'' is a 2013 free-to-play vehicular combat multiplayer video game produced by Gaijin Entertainment for Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Oculus, and Vive. It was first relea ...

: * The AMX-13/75 (AMX-13e) * The AMX-Chaffee * The classic AMX 13 * Israeli AMX 13 * The AMX-13/90 C90 Some variants of the AMX-13 are also present in the video game

World of Tanks ''World of Tanks'' (''WoT'') is an armoured warfare-themed multiplayer online game developed by Wargaming, featuring 20th century (1910s–1970s) era combat vehicles. It is built upon a freemium business model where the game is free-to-play ...

: * The AMX-13/75 (Modèle 51), AMX-13/90 (C90) and AMX-13/105 (modèle 58), as well as the initial AMX entry to the air-portable 12 tons light tank program (as "AMX 12t"), as regular French light tanks * The AMX-13/75 Modèle 51 FL11 and AMX-13 avec Canon 57 L/100, as premium French light tanks * the AMX-105A and Amx-13 F3, as regular French self-propelled guns.

References

Notes

Bibliography

* * * * * David François, ''El Salvador – Volume 1: Crisis, Coup and Uprising 1970–1983'', Latin America@War Volume 32, Helion & Company Limited, Warwick UK 2023. * David François, ''El Salvador – Volume 2: Conflagration 1984–1992'', Latin America@War Volume 34, Helion & Company Limited, Warwick UK 2023. * Samer Kassis, ''30 Years of Military Vehicles in Lebanon'', Beirut: Elite Group, 2003. * M.P. Robinson, Peter Lau and Guy Gibeau, ''Images of War: The AMX 13 Light Tank, A Complete History – rare photographs from wartime archives'', Pen & Sword Military, Barnsley 2018.

External links

Chars-francais.net
{{DEFAULTSORT:Amx-13 Light tanks of France Light tanks of the Cold War Tanks with autoloaders Military vehicles introduced in the 1950s Tanks of France