ukron
Commander
"Beware of the French"
Posts: 1,433
Likes: 2,383
|
Post by ukron on Dec 3, 2020 13:44:30 GMT
AMX-40 P01 pre-production model fitted with the T2 prototype turret at the Musée des Blindés at Saumur The AMX-40 was a French prototype main battle tank developed by GIAT during the latter stages of the Cold War as an export tank to replace the failed AMX-32. Designed to be an inexpensive tank orientated towards militaries with smaller defence budgets, the AMX-40 featured a lightly armoured hull and good mobility reminiscent of previous French MBTs with a powerful 120 mm cannon. It however failed to attract interest and sale, being discontinued in 1990.
|
|
ukron
Commander
"Beware of the French"
Posts: 1,433
Likes: 2,383
|
Post by ukron on Dec 3, 2020 13:46:13 GMT
Along with the promotion of the AMX 30 with version B2, the AMX workshops are developing the AMX 32 designed especially for export. In 1979 a first prototype was presented at the Satory military equipment exhibition. Its armament is the 105 mm gun of the AMX 30. At the 1981 show a second prototype was armed with a 120 mm cannon and had improved armor. The internal layout of the AMX 32 is directly inspired by the AMX 30: the operator's station is in the front left, the three other crew occupying the turret. The engine and transmission are placed at the rear. The main armament is a 120 mm smoothbore gun, developed by the Bourges Armament Studies and Manufacturing Establishment (EFAB).
|
|
lordroel
Administrator
Posts: 67,964
Likes: 49,368
|
Post by lordroel on Dec 3, 2020 15:10:54 GMT
AMX-40 P01 pre-production model fitted with the T2 prototype turret at the Musée des Blindés at Saumur The AMX-40 was a French prototype main battle tank developed by GIAT during the latter stages of the Cold War as an export tank to replace the failed AMX-32. Designed to be an inexpensive tank orientated towards militaries with smaller defence budgets, the AMX-40 featured a lightly armoured hull and good mobility reminiscent of previous French MBTs with a powerful 120 mm cannon. It however failed to attract interest and sale, being discontinued in 1990. Could this tank have taken the place of the Leclerc.
|
|
ukron
Commander
"Beware of the French"
Posts: 1,433
Likes: 2,383
|
Post by ukron on Dec 3, 2020 15:36:11 GMT
probably not, but it would have been a good concurrent to russian T-90 and German Leopard on export.
|
|
lordroel
Administrator
Posts: 67,964
Likes: 49,368
|
Post by lordroel on Dec 3, 2020 15:39:29 GMT
probably not, but it would have been a good concurrent to russian T-90 and German Leopard on export. Well i think if the Cold War had go on, the AMX-40 would have been a good tank for countries who did not want to pick between the Americans and Soviets. Photo: AMX-40 P01 pre-production model fitted with the T2 prototype turret at the Musée des Blindés at Saumur
|
|
ukron
Commander
"Beware of the French"
Posts: 1,433
Likes: 2,383
|
Post by ukron on Dec 4, 2020 13:06:38 GMT
AMX-40 was developped for Saudi Arabia and Egypt, so we can suppose that if 1991 Gulf War haven't happened, Saudi Arabia would have purchased AMX-40 and Mirage 4000 rather than M1 Abrams and F-15.
|
|
lordroel
Administrator
Posts: 67,964
Likes: 49,368
|
Post by lordroel on Dec 4, 2020 13:14:34 GMT
AMX-40 was developped for Saudi Arabia and Egypt, so we can suppose that if 1991 Gulf War haven't happened, Saudi Arabia would have purchased AMX-40 and Mirage 4000 rather than M1 Abrams and F-15. Here is a nice article called: IN DEVELOPMENT: AMX-40In it it gives 2 reasons why nobody bought the AMX-40: (1) it came at a bad time with major potential customers having bought other vehicles already. (2) as a jack of all trades design, it didn’t really have the potential to carve a proper niche (or a battlefield role) for itself. Rich countries were buying more expensive (and better) designs while poorer countries clung to surplus American on Soviet equipment, depending on their political leanings. The AMX-40 was something of an oddity in the middle and didn’t really appeal to either. The closest AMX came to closing a deal was during Egyptian trials, but Egypt had ordered hundreds of American M60 series tanks by that time already. The only true success of the AMX-40 was that it provided the AMX engineers with plenty of experience when designing the future tank for France itself – the Leclerc.
|
|
gral
Seaman
Posts: 14
Likes: 27
|
Post by gral on Jan 15, 2021 22:23:10 GMT
AMX-40 P01 pre-production model fitted with the T2 prototype turret at the Musée des Blindés at Saumur The AMX-40 was a French prototype main battle tank developed by GIAT during the latter stages of the Cold War as an export tank to replace the failed AMX-32. Designed to be an inexpensive tank orientated towards militaries with smaller defence budgets, the AMX-40 featured a lightly armoured hull and good mobility reminiscent of previous French MBTs with a powerful 120 mm cannon. It however failed to attract interest and sale, being discontinued in 1990. Could this tank have taken the place of the Leclerc. Only as a provisional tank, if Leclerc development gets delayed, IMO.
|
|
lordroel
Administrator
Posts: 67,964
Likes: 49,368
|
Post by lordroel on Jan 16, 2021 10:36:23 GMT
YouTube (French AMX-40 Main Battle Tank)
|
|