The AMX-13 is a French light tank produced from 1953 to 1985. It served
with the French Army, as the Char 13t-75 Modèle 51, and was exported to more than
25 other nations. Named after its initial weight of 13 tonnes, and
featuring a tough and reliable chassis, it was fitted with an oscillating turret
built by GIAT Industries with revolver type magazines, which were also used on
the Austrian SK-105 Kürassier. Including prototypes and export versions, there
are over a hundred variants including self-propelled guns, anti-aircraft
systems, APCs, and ATGM versions. Total production of the AMX-13 family is
approximately 7,700 units, around 3,400 of which were exported.
History The tank was designed at the Atelier de
Construction d'Issy-les-Moulineaux in 1946 to meet a requirement for an
air-portable vehicle to support paratroopers. The first prototype ran
from 1948. The compact chassis had torsion bar suspension 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
oscillating turret, 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. The original 75 mm 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 had to retreat to cover and the crew had
to reload shells from outside the vehicle.
Production began at ARE 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 MBT, and the
numbers produced declined significantly. From 1966, the 75mm high-velocity gun
was replaced by a 90 mm medium velocity gun firing more effective HEAT
ammunition, with the French upgrading all existing base models to this
specification. By the early 1970s, export models were available with an
even more potent 105 mm gun. Although there were many variants on the turret,
the basic chassis was almost unchanged until 1985, when changes including a new
diesel engine, fully automatic transmission and new hydropneumatic
suspension were introduced. Production halted with the Model 1987.
After sales support and upgrades are still offered through GIAT Industries.
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: 370 mm Fording: 600 mm
Vertical obstacle 650 mm Trench: 1.6 m
Gradient 60% Side slope: 60%
NBC system: None Night vision: Optional
= AMX13 in French army= During the Suez campaign the French army
used two sections of 2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment AMX-13 tanks in Port Fouad .
The AMX-13 saw limited action in the war of Algeria, due to the absence of
opposition and the rough nature of the Algerian countryside from where the
guerrillas operated. = AMX13 in Dominican republic=
Two AMX 13 were destroyed by USMC M-58 ontos during the U.S. invasion of the
Dominican Republic in 1965. = AMX13 in Sinai Campaign=
AMX13 was Israel’s first modern tank, purchased at a time only France was
willing to openly sell arms to Israel. By 1956 Israel had received 180 AMX-13
light tanks, as part of an agreement to reinforce Israel and maintain the
balance after the Egyptian-Czechoslovak arms agreement. Due to the lack of tanks
the IDF used them as main battle tanks, equipping a tank battalion in the 7th
Armored Brigade. Reconnaissance units did not use AMX13s and remained
exclusively equipped with jeeps. The 7th Armored Brigade advanced into
the Sinai and its reconnaissance company played a decisive role on 30 October
1956 at Abu Ageila pass, in the central Sinai sector. The company managed to
maneuver and discover that Pass was held only by a small force of Egyptian
engineers who fled when the Israelis arrived. The company secured the pass,
allowing the 7th Armored brigade to pass through and surround the Egyptians.
= AMX13 tanks in Six Day War= By 1967 Israel had acquired about 400
AMX-13s and three AMX-13 battalions fought actively on all fronts.
One tank battalion with AMX-13 tanks moved southin Western Bank through
Taluzi and Tubas, and occupied Nablus. Other tank battalion captured the
strongpoints protecting the Gaza Strip and the coastal road in the north of the
Sinai Peninsula. The third battalion assaulted the Golan
Heights. One of the IDF’s lessons from the 1967
battles was that AMX-13 tank was too lightly armored and gunned for both a
main battle and a reconnaissance role. The AMX-13 took heavy losses at places
like Rafah Junction and Jiradi, and it was completely phased out of the IDF
inventory, selling them to Singapore. To be fair by 1967 the AMX13 and its 75mm
gun was no longer considered by Israel a front-line tank, but had no choice.
= AMX13 tanks in Indo-Pakistani War= The offensive of Pakistan's 1st Armored
Division was blunted at the Battle of Assal Uttar on September 10th 1965.
Pakistani forces were opposed by three Indian armored regiments: Deccan Horse,
3 Cavalry and 8 Cavalry. Indian regiments withdrew but rearranged their
tanks in a U shaped formation around the town of Asal Uttar. The tall sugarcane
grass allowed the Indian tanks to remain hidden and allow to be much closer to
the Pakistani tanks, besides Indian flooded sugarcane fields to immobilize
Pakistani tanks in the mud. About 100 Pakistani tanks were either destroyed or
captured while the Indians lost only 10 tanks during this battle.
An entire squadron of AMX-13 tanks of the 20th Cavalry was captured intact in
battle of Chamb, when Indian forces tried to stem a Pakistani advance
supported by a regiment of M-48 Pattons. The Pakistan army later used those
captured AMX-13 tanks. = AMX13 in Lebanon=
Lebanese AMX13 saw extensive service during the Lebanese civil war against
Hezbollah in the hand of various armed groups in and outside Beirut.
= AMX13 in Morocco= Morocco used some AMX13 in Western
Sahara, at least four were captured by Polisario guerrillas. Morocco decided to
supplement its AMX-13s with the more advanced Austrian SK-105 Kürassier.
Prototypes Char AMX-13
Prototype with 4 roadwheels and trailing idler
Char AMX-13 Prototype with 5 roadwheels and raised
idler Char AMX-13
Prototype with FL-10 turret and two support rollers
Char AMX-13 Prototype with 4 support rollers
Char AMX-13 Prototype with 3 support rollers and 90
mm gun Char AMX-13
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
Fitted with a 105 mm howitzer barrel AMX-13/75
Experimental variant with a short-barreled 75 mm in FL-11 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 L/70 gun
in a large faceted turret 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-13
Some initial vehicles were fitted with the turret of the M24 Chaffee
AMX-13 [DTT] Initial vehicles with the turret of the
M24 Chaffee converted into a driver training tank. Gun removed.
AMX-13/75 Modèle 51 High-velocity 75 mm Gun in FL-11 turret
as installed in Panhard EBR armoured car, with two top rollers
AMX-13/75 Modèle 51 High-velocity 75 mm Gun in FL-11 turret,
with four top rollers and revised stowage
AMX-13 T75 Fitted with SS.11 ATGM launchers
AMX-13 T75 avec TCA Fitted with an electronic guidance
system for the missiles AMX-13/90 Modèle 52
FL-10 turret refitted with the F3 90 mm gun
AMX-13/90 LRF Fitted with a laser rangefinder
AMX-13/105 Modèle 58 Fitted with a 105mm Gun in an FL-12
turret 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 fitted; 60 were produced beginning in
1969. AMX-13 [Training Tank]
AMX-13 with the turret removed; used for driver training
AMX-13 Modèle 55 Recovery version
AMX-13 PDP Modèle 51 Scissors-type bridgelayer
= Modernisation packages= Cockerill 90 mm Regunning Packaging: 90
mm upgunning 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
= National= Netherlands
AMX-13/FL-12 [Modernised] by the Netherlands: Fitted with a searchlight
and FN MAG machine-guns AMX-13/FL-15 Dutch FL-12 version
refitted with an FL-15 Turret Singapore
AMX-13S Rebuild of standard AMX-13/75 Modèle 51 by Singapore prior to SM-1
upgrade. AMX-13SM1: 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. The 75 mm main
gun remain unchanged. Switzerland
Leichter Panzer 51 Swiss Army version Peru
AMX-13PA5 Escorpion Proposed upgrade for a standard AMX-13/105 by the Peruvian
designer Sergio Casanave, fitted with modern communications and 4 9M14-2T
missiles. AMX-13PA8 Escorpion-2 equipped with
Dante fire-control system, four Ukrainian laser-guided Barrier R-2
antitank missiles and 7.62 mm and 12.7 mm machine-guns was also proposed.
Venezuela AMX-13V CLI upgraded AMX-13/90 for
Venezuelan Army AMX-13 [LAR-160] Venezuelan MLRS version
armed with IMI LAR-160 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 AMX-VCI. The APC
chassis was itself the basis of a number of variants.
= Self propelled howitzer= 105 mm
AMX Mk 61 Automoteur de 105 du AMX-13 en casemate: 105 mm casemate SP
AMX Mk 61 Dutch Army version with 30 calibre howitzer and Browning
commander's MG AMX Mk 62 Prototype with 105 mm howitzer
in a turret AMX Mk 63 Prototype of Mk 62 with MG
cupola fitted to turret 155 mm
AMX Mk F3 155 mm SPH Operators
= Current operators= Argentina - 24 AMX Mk F3 155 mm
self-propelled howitzer version, to be replaced by 36 M109 howitzers.
Cambodia - 12. Ivory Coast - 5.
Djibouti - 60. Ecuador - 102.
Indonesia - 250. Kuwait - Unknown number.
Mexico - 409 AMX-VCI. Nepal - Unknown number.
Peru - 210. Singapore - 350 AMX-13/SM1.
Tunisia - Unknown number. Venezuela - 36 AMX-13C.90.
= Former operators= Algeria - Unknown number.
Austria - Unknown number. Argentina - 60 AMX-13/105 FL-12
received; currently in storage. Belgium - 555 built under licence,
mostly APCs and other variants based on the APC version.
Chile - 12 AMX Mk F3 155 mm self-propelled howitzer version.
Dominican Republic - 15. Egypt - Unknown number.
El Salvador - 12 ordered, but no evidence that they were ever delivered.
France - The AMX-13 tank was phased out of service with the French Army in the
1970s. Guatemala - 12.
India - Indian Army used AMX-13 Tanks against Pakistan in the Indo-Pakistani
War of 1965. Israel - Retired and sold to Singapore
in 1969. Lebanon - 35 in service with the
Lebanese Army in 1976, passed on to the Kataeb Regulatory Forces militia, Tigers
Militia, Amal Movement, Al-Murabitun, Army of Free Lebanon, Lebanese Arab
Army, Lebanese Forces and South Lebanon Army.
Morocco - Replaced by SK-105 Kurassier. Netherlands - 131.
Switzerland - 200 AMX-13 introduced as Light Tank 51 between 1952 and 1954.
Served in light tank battalions till 1961 and then as recon vehicles with
recon battalions till the last ones were phased out in 1980. Four howitzer
variants purchased for trials in 1962-64; not introduced into service.
See also 2S25 Sprut-SD
AMX-50 PT-76
Anders SK-105 Kürassier
References Notes
Bibliography External links
(French) Chars-francais.net