During a telephone conversation with Volodymyr Zelensky on January 4, 2023, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the transfer of another batch of military equipment to Ukraine. According to Macron, France will provide AMX-10 RC heavy armored personnel carriers (also classified as wheeled tanks).
According to French sources, this is the first time that Western-made tanks will be sent to reinforce the Ukrainian armed forces.
Note that the tank was developed in the 1970s and put into service in 1981. It is an armored amphibious vehicle weighing about 16 tons. The AMX-10 RC has a turret with a 105 mm gun, a coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun and 4 smoke mortars. The tank has a 6 × 6 wheel formula, a suspension with variable ground clearance, a tire inflation system and two water cannons (used for movement on water). There is a modification with reinforced armor, but it is not able to swim. The crew of the combat vehicle is 4 people.
In turn, Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the President of France on his Telegram channel for the decision to transfer “light tanks and Bastion”.
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We are talking about the French multi-purpose armored vehicles Bastion. This is a relatively new development, introduced in 2010 and adopted in 2012. The all-wheel drive armored vehicle has mine protection from below and is available in several modifications. The basic version is designed to carry a group of up to 5 fighters. The possibility of mounting a turret with a 12.7-mm machine gun or a combat module on the roof is supported. Additionally, the armored vehicle can be equipped with 40-mm HK GMG grenade launchers (two in the back, one in the front) or 7.62 mm machine guns (in the same positions). A modification is also available, designed to carry up to 8 fighters.
Unfortunately, it is not specified exactly when and how many AMX-10 RC tanks and Bastion armored vehicles will be transferred to Ukraine.
