The AMX - 13 was a very unique tank and a very popular export vehicle for the French arms industry. It was the first tank of many to use an automatic loader for the main gun. To reduce weight it couldn’t be fitted with heavy armour as the vehicle had to be air portable to support paratroopers, so its designers decided to reduce the height of its silhouette with a new turret design. Rather than the traditional design of the main gun being elevated as found on other tanks, the upper half of the AMX - 13’s turret would elevate rather than the main gun, whilst the lower half of the turret was fixed to the hull. It is equipped with smoke dischargers 2 on each of the turret.
The initial design of the vehicle began in 1946 at the end of WW2 with the first prototype completed in 1948 and designated AMX - 13. After successful field trials, it entered production with the French company Atelier de Construction Roanne (AKA - AMR) in 1952, but by the early 1960’s production had been taken over by the French firm Creusot-Loire (which was taken over by the former GIAT Industries) at Chalon-sur-Saone whilst AMR concentrated on the newly developed AMX - 30 MBT.
AMX-13 -
Initial production vehicle
AMX-13 DTT -
Driver training tank with the turret of the M24 Chaffee
AMX-13/75 Modèle 51 -
Main gun replaced with a high-velocity 75 mm
AMX-13 T-75 Char Lance SS-11 -
Fitted with SS-11 ATGM launcher
AMX-13 T75 avec TCA -
Electronic guidance system installed for the launcher
AMX-13/90 Modèle 52 -
FL-10 turret refitted with the F3 90 mm main gun
AMX-13/90 LRF -
Laser rangefinder installed
AMX-13/105 Modèle 58 -
FL-12 turret refitted with a 105 mm main gun
AMX-13/105 -
Export version of the Modèle 58 with a thermal sleeve and revised hull front
AMX-13 Model 1987 -
Late production version
AMX-DCA AKA AMX-13/S530 -
Self-propelled anti-aircraft vehicle with two HS 831 30 mm cannons
AMX-DCA 30 AKA Bitube de 30 mm anti-aérien automoteur, Oeil Noir -
Self-propelled anti-aircraft vehicle with retractable radar fitted, 60 delivered between 1969 and late 80s
AMX-13 Training Tank -
AMX-13 with turret removed and used for driver training
AMX-13 Modèle 55 AKA AMX-D -
Armoured recovery vehicle
AMX-13 PDP (Poseur De Pont) Modèle 51 -
Scissors type AVLB
The Auto-Loader was set in the back of the turret, leaving space for the commander and gunner to sit up front in the turret (one either side of the main gun) whilst the driver sat at the front of the hull on the left hand side. The auto loader had two six round magazines. When they needed reloading, the vehicle would have to retreat to a safe location as the crew had to do this externally by hand.
Of the estimated 7700 manufactured AMX - 13's, 3400 were exported all around the world and saw action in the Six-Day War when 200 of them were deployed by the IDF. They were also used in a limited number of French air-bourne operations.
From it's initial production, the vehicle has under gone a number of up-grades with greater fire power and turrets to reflect this (still based on the elevating design - FL-10 & FL-12). The 75mm (a further development of the one used on the German Panther tank) was replaced with an improved 90mm and by 1987 a 105mm main gun.
Another up-grade during the late 50's/early 60's, was the introduction of the French manufactured SS - 11 wire guided anti-tank missile. Four of these MCLOS missiles were mounted in a launcher at the front of the turret and over the main gun. It came in three types - 140AC shaped charge,140AP02 - blast fragmentation (to penetrate light skinned vehicles), 140AP59 - anti personnel and had an effective range of 500m - 3000m. The vehicle was also fitted with guidance/sighting equipment to operate the missile.
Several variants of the AMX-13 have also been developed including: the Mk F3 155mm self-propelled howitzer, the AMX VCI APC (10 infantrymen) and the AMX-13 DCA anti-aircraft equipped with two 30mm Hispano cannons (only 60 were manufactured). Other vehicles include a bridge layer (AKA AVLB) and armoured recovery vehicle.
In 1985 a new power pack with a diesel engine & fully automatic transmission was developed, whilst the old torsion bar suspension was replaced with Hydropneumatic AKA hydrogas. Production of the vehicle ended with the Model 1987, but upgrades are still offered through French firm Nexter and by other Israeli companies. The vehicle was eventually phased out of service with the French Army during the 1970s and many countries have sold theirs to other countries who can not afford more modern MBT's.
AMX - 13 Spec's (initial production vehicle)
Armament: 75mm main gun one/two 7.5mm or 7.62mm machine guns
Crew: 3 Driver, commander & gunner
Weight: 14.76 tons
Dimensions: length 4.88m width 2.51m height 2.3m
Powerpack: Sofan model 8Gxb 8 cylinder petrol generating 250hp
Speed: road 60km/h
Range: 350/400km
Suspension: Torsion bar
Operators:
Argentina / Dominican Republic / Ecuador / Indonesia / Ivory Coast / Lebanon / Peru / Singapore / Veneuela.
