The AMX-10RC is a wheeled recon vehicle and tank destroyer built by GIAT. Over 300 are in service in the French Army. 120 additional vehicles were sold to Morocco (108) and Qatar (12).
The AMX-10RC is a wheeled and heavily armed version of the AMX-10P combat vehicle. The AMX-10RC should not be confused with the AMX-10P; both share automotive components but otherwise have completely different battlefield roles. The AMX-10RC is amphibious and has very good mobility. It is usually used for reconnaissance missions in dangerous environments, or for fire support.
Initial work on the AMX-10RC began in 1970; production began in 1976, and the first production vehicle was delivered in 1981 to the 2nd Regiment de Hussards in Sourdun. The vehicle features a powerful GIAT 105 mm gun mounted in a welded aluminium turret. The turret also serves to house three crew members, while the driver sits in the front of the hull; the COTAC fire control system is provided for gun aiming.
| AMX 10 RC | |
|---|---|
| Type | Tank Destroyer |
| Place of origin |  France |
| Service history | |
| Wars |
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| Specifications | |
| Weight | 15 tonnes |
| Length | 6.24 m |
| Width | 2.78 m |
| Height | 2.56 m |
| Crew | 4 |
| | |
| Armor | Frontal armour resistant against 23 mm API from 300 m |
| Main armament | 105 mm BK MECA (F2) L/48 (38 rounds) (Vo 800 m/s) |
| Secondary armament | AA 7,62 NF1 co-axial machine gun (4,000 cartridges), 4 smoke generators. Optional 12.7-mm M2HB AA MG |
| Engine | Baudouin Diesel Model 6F11 SRX 280 hp (208.8 kW) |
| Suspension | hydropneumatic wheel |
| Operational range | 800 to 1,000 km |
| Speed | 85 km/h (off-road: 25 to 30 km/h) |
The 105 mm gun fires four types of ammunition: APFSDS, HE, HEAT and smoke. The APFSDS uses the penetrator from the GIAT 90 mm APFSDS round, and is capable of penetrating a NATO triple heavy tank target at a range of 2,000 meters.
The AMX-10RC has been the recipient of numerous upgrades over its lifetime. Newer systems include battlefield-management system terminals, most notably. For its part in the 1991 Gulf War, the AMX-10RC was provided with extra add-on armour and anti-tank missile decoy systems. One improvement considered was the installation of a NATO 105 mm gun, as the GIAT model was not compatible with NATO munitions, but this was ultimately not done. Thermal imaging systems have also been installed, using units taken from decommissioned AMX-30B2 MBTs. A central tire-inflation system is available for added traction over soft terrain. The AMX-10RC is equipped with an NBC (Nuclear/Biological/Chemical) protection system and may conduct reconnaissance in a radioactive environment.
The AMX-10RC is no longer in production by GIAT.
In 2010, Nexter completed the modernization of 256 AMX-10RC vehicle configuration to RCR (Renova), a program that consisted of integrating various systems and additional armor, active self protection by Sagem, LIRE (Leurre Infrarouge) / Eirel, the combat management system SIT (Système d'Information Terminal) V1, ASP device Galix smoke grenades, changes in the NBC protection and improvements in the suspension and the speed gearboxes and tactical communications completed with Thales Communications & Security PR4G VS4. The integration was done by DCMAT (Direction Centrale du Matériel de l'Armée de Terre.
