See the French AMX-10 combat vehicle that the Ukrainian military is testing

• France has sent dozens of anti-tank armored vehicles to Ukraine to counter the Russian offensive.

• The vehicles were designed for reconnaissance and fire support but were ineffective on the Ukrainian front lines.

• Instead, Ukraine returned so-called “light tanks” as self-propelled artillery.

France is among several Western countries helping Ukraine with both training and weapons in an effort to turn the tide in its three-year war with Russia.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, France has delivered arms and ammunition worth more than 2.6 billion euros, in addition to training nearly 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers, according to the country’s defense ministry.

In the past few months, the French army has trained a team of Ukrainian soldiers in effective combat tactics and how to use French-supplied military equipment, including the AMX-10 anti-tank vehicle.

French and Ukrainian officials have called the AMX-10 a “light tank,” but it lacks heavy armor and armored tracks. Its light aluminum armor left it vulnerable to Russian artillery.

Best described as an armored reconnaissance vehicle, Ukraine initially struggled to successfully use the AMX-10 for its frontline defenses, instead adapting the vehicle’s performance to the Ukrainian battlefield.

French armored car that kills tanks

Praised for its anti-tank capabilities and operational flexibility, France sent Ukraine more than a dozen AMX-10RC armored vehicles to bolster its 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 target enemy positions while armed to quickly fire on hostile threats.

The 30-foot, 18-ton armored vehicle has a range of 500 miles and a top speed of about 37 mph on roads and about 9 mph off-road; it has a slower speed on the road than tracked vehicles such as tanks.

After ten years of operation, France discontinued production of the AMX-10RC in favor of more advanced combat vehicles such as the ERBC Jaguar, an armored scout vehicle armed with two anti-tank missiles and a 40mm gun.

Inside the AMX-10RC

The AMX-10 has a turret with two 7.62mm guns and a 105mm cannon, powerful enough to destroy a tank at close range.

The Ukrainian forces use the AMX-10RC and AMX-10RCR, an upgraded variant of the armored vehicle with improved artillery, more advanced optronics systems such as thermal imaging, and a defense system that automatically activates smoke grenades and decoys.

The AMX-10 can carry a crew of four – a machine operator, a gunner, a loader and a driver.

It can carry up to 38 rounds for its main gun and 4,000 rounds for its machine guns. The AMX-10 team 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.

Getting used to fighting in Ukraine

The Ukrainian military initially struggled to integrate the AMX-10RC into its advanced strategy. The light aluminum armor of the classic armored car left it vulnerable in high-energy conflict environments, especially against Russia’s more advanced weapons and defense systems.

Instead, Ukrainian forces have taken advantage of wheeled platform maneuvers and re-armed combat vehicles such as self-propelled artillery that can engage hostile targets from afar.

AMX-10 is active

Military TV, run by Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, captured the AMX-10’s capabilities in action in a video posted last week.

While filming the AMX-10 segment, Ukrainian soldiers and television crews were attacked by a Russian jet. The crew and TV crew were not injured, and the vehicle was not damaged.

Equipping and training Ukraine

In September, thousands of Ukrainian soldiers – most of whom had only a few weeks of basic training – 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-turned-queen of France, French authorities said the military group would eventually include up to 4,500 soldiers specializing in the army, engineering units, artillery groups and other roles.

The newly trained army will be equipped with a variety of French-supplied military equipment and weapons, including armored vehicles, artillery, and anti-tank and anti-aircraft missile systems.

A force of about 1,500 French soldiers trained Ukrainian soldiers in effective combat tactics and skills as well as how to use and maintain equipment provided by France. More than 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers completed training in France in late November.

“They have improved a lot,” the French colonel told the Associated Press. “Now, they know how to fight. They know how to navigate. They know how to use different specialists and use different resources that they will have on the battlefield.”

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