The AMX-13 is a French

light tank A light tank is a tank variant initially designed for rapid movements in and out of combat, to outmaneuver heavier tanks. It is smaller in size with thinner armor and a less powerful main gun, tailored for better tactical mobility and ease of ...

produced from 1952 to 1987. It served with the French Army, as the Char 13t-75 Modèle 51, and was exported to more than 26 other nations. Named after its initial weight of 13 tonnes, and featuring a tough and reliable chassis,''The Complete Guide to Tanks and Armoured Fighting Vehicles'', it was fitted with an

oscillating turret An oscillating turret is a form of turret for armoured fighting vehicles, both tanks and armoured cars. The turret is unusual in being made of two hinged parts. Elevation of the gun relies on the upper part of the turret moving relative to the l ...

built by GIAT Industries (now

Nexter Nexter Systems (formerly known as GIAT Industries or ''Groupement des Industries de l'Armée de Terre'', Army Industries Group) is a French government-owned weapons manufacturer, based in Roanne, Loire. Group organization The Nexter group is ...

) with revolver type magazines, which were also used on the Austrian

SK-105 Kürassier The SK-105 ''Kürassier'' is an Austrian light tank armed with a rifled 105 mm gun in an oscillating turret. It is estimated that over 700 have been produced. History Design and development The SK-105 was developed by Saurer-Werk (now Ste ...

. Including prototypes and export versions, over a hundred variants exist, including

self-propelled gun Self-propelled artillery (also called locomotive artillery) is artillery equipped with its own propulsion system to move toward its firing position. Within the terminology are the self-propelled gun, self-propelled howitzer, self-propelled mo ...

anti-aircraft Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...

systems, APCs, and

ATGM An anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), anti-tank missile, anti-tank guided weapon (ATGW) or anti-armor guided weapon is a guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy heavily armored military vehicles. ATGMs range in size from shoulder ...

versions.

Development

The tank was designed at the Atelier de Construction d'Issy-les-Moulineaux (AMX) in 1946 to meet a requirement for an air-portable vehicle to support paratroopers. The first prototype ran from 1948. The compact

chassis A chassis (, ; plural ''chassis'' from French châssis ) is the load-bearing framework of an artificial object, which structurally supports the object in its construction and function. An example of a chassis is a vehicle frame, the underpart ...

had

torsion bar suspension A torsion bar suspension, also known as a torsion spring suspension, is any vehicle suspension that uses a torsion bar as its main weight-bearing spring. One end of a long metal bar is attached firmly to the vehicle chassis; the opposite end termi ...

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 FL-10

, 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

SA 50 The 75 SA 50 (french: 75 mm Semi-Automatique Modèle 1950; en, 75 mm Semi-Automatic 1950 Model) also called 75 Mle 50 or CN 75-50 is a French 75 mm high-velocity rifled gun. Although originally designed for the AMX-13 light tank, the SA 50 ...

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 commander and gunner could either manually refill them from within the turret or retreat to cover and reload shells from outside the vehicle through hatches above. Production began at ARE (Atelier de Construction Roanne) in 1952, with the first tanks delivered the following year. In 1964, production was transferred to

Creusot-Loire Creusot-Loire was a French engineering conglomerate, formed from factories in Le Creusot and Châteauneuf, Loire. The Creusot-Loire subsidiary of ArcelorMittal also includes an Innovation, Research and Development centre for the group. History The ...

at Chalon-sur-Saône, as ARE switched to the production of the

AMX-30 The AMX-30 is a main battle tank designed by Ateliers de construction d'Issy-les-Moulineaux (AMX, then GIAT) and first delivered to the French Army in August 1966. The first five tanks were issued to the 501st ''Régiment de Chars de Combat'' (T ...

MBT, and the numbers produced declined significantly. After 1966, AMX-13s in French service were up-gunned with a 90 mm

CN-90-F3 The 75 SA 50 (french: 75 mm Semi-Automatique Modèle 1950; en, 75 mm Semi-Automatic 1950 Model) also called 75 Mle 50 or CN 75-50 is a French 75 mm high-velocity rifled gun. Although originally designed for the AMX-13 light tank, the SA 50 ...

L/52 medium pressure gun firing more effective

high-explosive anti-tank High-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) is the effect of a shaped charge explosive that uses the Munroe effect to penetrate heavy armor. The warhead functions by having an explosive charge collapse a metal liner inside the warhead into a high-velocity ...

(HEAT) munitions; this variant was designated AMX-13/90. The F3 was similar to the DEFA D921/F1 low pressure gun developed for the

Panhard AML-90 The Panhard AML (''Auto Mitrailleuse Légère'', or "Light Machine Gun Car") is an armoured car with reconnaissance capability. Designed on a lightly armoured 4×4 chassis, it weighs an estimated 5.5 tonnes, and is thus suitable for airborne depl ...

, and even utilized the same ammunition, though it possessed a significantly higher muzzle velocity. By the late 1960s, an export model of the AMX-13 was also available with an even larger 105 mm CN-105 L/57 gun in a FL-12 turret. Although there were many variants on the turret, the basic chassis was almost unchanged until 1985, when changes including a new

diesel engine The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-call ...

, fully

automatic transmission An automatic transmission (sometimes abbreviated to auto or AT) is a multi-speed transmission used in internal combustion engine-based motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving c ...

and new

hydropneumatic suspension Hydropneumatic suspension is a type of motor vehicle suspension system, designed by Paul Magès, invented by Citroën, and fitted to Citroën cars, as well as being used under licence by other car manufacturers, notably Rolls-Royce ( Silver Shado ...

were introduced. Production halted with the AMX-13 Model 1987. After sales support and upgrades are still offered through GIAT Industries (now Nexter). 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 The Panhard ERC (''Engin à Roues, Canon''; "Engine with wheels, cannon") is a French six-wheeled armoured car which is highly mobile and amphibious with an option of being NBC-proof. While various models were tested, only two versions of the ER ...

and the

AMX 10 RC The AMX-10 RC is a French armoured fighting vehicle manufactured by GIAT for armoured reconnaissance purposes. Equipping French cavalry units since 1981, over 240 are still in service with the French Army as of 2021. In addition, 108 units were s ...

Additional characteristics

*Ground clearance: *Fording: *Vertical obstacle *Trench: *Gradient 60% *Side slope: 60% *NBC system: None *Night vision: Optional

Service history

France

During the Suez Crisis of 1956, the French Army used two sections of the 2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment's AMX-13 tanks in Port Fouad. The AMX-13s also saw limited action in the Algerian War, largely due to the rough terrain in most of Algeria and much of the fighting with the anti-colonial guerillas being in the difficult terrain of the countryside. France also fielded a number of AMX-13s fitted with US Chaffee light tank turrets in the fighting in Algeria.

Dominican Republic

AMX-13s saw service among both the loyalists and the rebels during the

Dominican Civil War The Dominican Civil War (), also known as the April Revolution (), took place between April 24, 1965, and September 3, 1965, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. It started when civilian and military supporters of the overthrown democraticall ...

of 1965. Two AMX-13s used by the rebel forces were destroyed by

M50 Ontos Ontos, officially the Rifle, Multiple 106 mm, Self-propelled, M50, was a U.S. light armored tracked anti-tank vehicle developed in the 1950s. It mounted six 106 mm manually loaded M40 recoilless rifles as its main armament, which could b ...

of the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

during the subsequent American intervention in the Dominican Republic.

Israel

The AMX 13 was Israel's first modern tank and was purchased at a time when France was the only country 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's military and to maintain the balance in Israel's favour after the

Egyptian–Czechoslovak arms deal The Egyptian''-''Czechoslovak arms deal was an agreement between the USSR and Egypt led by Gamal Abdel Nasser, announced in September 1955, to supply Egypt with more than $83 million worth of modern Soviet weaponry, through Czechoslovakia. The dea ...

. Besides buying whole AMX-13s, Israel also purchased a quantity of 75mm main guns of these light tanks for fitting (upgunning) into other tanks in their inventory, such as the American

M4 Sherman } The M4 Sherman, officially Medium Tank, M4, was the most widely used medium tank by the Military history of the United States during World War II, United States and Allies of World War II, Western Allies in World War II. The M4 Sherman prove ...

. Due to the shortage of tanks, the IDF used them as main battle tanks and employed them to form a tank battalion in the 7th Armored Brigade. IDF reconnaissance units did not use AMX 13s. By 1967, Israel had acquired about 400 AMX-13s and formed three AMX-13 battalions, all of which fought actively on all fronts during the

Six-Day War The Six-Day War (, ; ar, النكسة, , or ) or June War, also known as the 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states (primarily United Arab Republic, Egypt, S ...

. The first battalion moved south in the West Bank area through Taluzi and Tubas and occupied Nablus (against Jordan). The second, attacking Egypt, captured the strongpoints protecting the Gaza Strip and the coastal road in the north of the Sinai Peninsula. The third, finally, assaulted the Golan Heights in south-western Syria. The IDF realised that the AMX-13 tank was too lightly-armoured and had a weak main gun. Losses were heavy at places like Rafah Junction and Jiradi Pass during the Six-Day War with many destroyed by heavier Arab-fielded Soviet armour, such as T-55 MBTs and

IS-3 (tank) The IS-3 (also known as Object 703) is a Soviet heavy tank developed in late 1944. Its semi-hemispherical cast turret (resembling that of an upturned soup bowl), became the hallmark of post-war Soviet tanks. Its pike nose design would also be ...

heavy tanks. Subsequently, Israel gradually phased out all of its AMX-13s following the Six-Day War, with most ending up being sold to the then newly established

Singapore Army The Singapore Army is the land service branch of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). The largest of the four branches of the SAF, the Singapore Army traces its origins to the 1st Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (1 SIR), which was formed i ...

between 1968 and 1969.

India

During the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War, India deployed AMX-13 Tanks to oppose the initial armour onslaught of

Operation Grand Slam Operation Grand Slam was a key military operation of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. It refers to a plan drawn up by the Pakistan Army in May 1965 that consisted of an attack on the vital Akhnoor Bridge in Indian-administered Jammu and Kash ...

in the Chhamb-Jaurian area and also in the

Battle of Asal Uttar The Battle of Asal Uttar (Hindi : आसल उत्ताड़ , Punjabi: ਆਸਲ ਉਤਾੜ) was one of the largest tank battles fought during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. It was fought from 8 to 10 September 1965, when the Pakist ...

. During the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War in Chhamb- Jaurian in Jammu & Kashmir, the 20 Lancers, equipped with AMX-13 tanks was under command of the 10th Infantry Division. Pakistan's surprise attack on 1 September,

, fell on 191 Infantry Brigade which was supported by "C" Squadron of the regiment, under Maj Bhaskar Roy. The Pakistani armoured attack comprised two regiments, one of

M48 Patton The M48 Patton is an American List of main battle tanks by generation#First generation, first-generation main battle tank (MBT) introduced in February 1952, being designated as the 90mm Gun Tank: M48. It was designed as a replacement for the M2 ...

medium tanks and one of M36B2 tank destroyers. The attack began at 0805 hours and was strongly resisted. During the initial phases of the attack, Roy destroyed six Pattons, three recoilless guns and captured a jeep. A second attack was launched by Pakistani armour at 1100 hours and contested by the AMX-13s of 20 Lancers, which despite being outgunned and outnumbered, destroyed a total 13 tanks that day and prevented the encirclement of 191 Infantry Brigade. The regiment later fought in the defence of Jaurian under 41 Infantry Brigade. For the defense of Chhamb-Jaurian, the regiment was awarded a theatre honour and Maj Bhaskar Roy was awarded

Maha Vir Chakra The Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) () is the second highest military decoration in India, after the Param Vir Chakra, and is awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea or in the air. It replaced the B ...

for his leadership in this action. In the Battle of Assal Uttar, on 8–10 September 1965 in Asal Uttar (

Khem Karan Khem Karan is a town and a nagar panchayat, just 56km from Tarn Taran Sahib in Tarn Taran district of Patti tehsil of the Majha region of Indian state of Punjab. It was the site of a major tank battle in 1965. The Battle of Asal Uttar was the ...

Punjab, India Punjab (; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in northern India. Forming part of the larger Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, the state is bordered by the States and union territories of India, Indian states of Himachal ...

), a regiment of AMX-13s — 8th Light Cavalry — along with a regiment each of Centurions and M4 Shermans fought off and defeated a Pakistani armoured offensive comprising five regiments of M48 Patton tanks and one regiment of

M24 Chaffee The M24 Chaffee (officially Light Tank, M24) was an American light tank used during the later part of World War II; it was also used in post–World War II conflicts including the Korean War, and by the French in the War in Algeria and the Firs ...

tanks.

Indonesia

Indonesian Army The Indonesian Army ( id, Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Darat (TNI-AD), ) is the land branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. It has an estimated strength of 300,000 active personnel. The history of the Indonesian Army has its ...

bought 175 AMX-13/75, 32

AMX-VCI The AMX-VCI (french: Véhicule de Combat d'Infanterie) is one of the many variants of the French AMX-13 light tank. It was the front line APC of the French Army until replaced by the AMX-10P. It is still used by some countries, for example Mexico ...

(including 4 command variants and 6 ARV variants), and 10 AMX-13 PDP from France in 1960, which were delivered to Indonesia in 1960–1962. The Army then bought around 100 to 180 ex-Royal Netherlands Army AMX-VCI in 1976, which were modernized and delivered in 1977–1978. The last batch of AMX-13 family were bought in 1980–1981, when the Army acquired 130 second-hand but modernized AMX-13/105 from the Netherlands. The AMX-13s first saw combat during

30 September Movement The Thirtieth of September Movement ( id, Gerakan 30 September, abbreviated as G30S, also known by the acronym Gestapu for ''Gerakan September Tiga Puluh'', Thirtieth of September Movement) was a self-proclaimed organization of Indonesian Na ...

in 1965 where it was deployed to secure

Jakarta Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...

from the attempted coup. The Indonesian AMX-13/75 tanks and the VCI variants participated in 1975

Indonesian invasion of East Timor The Indonesian invasion of East Timor, known in Indonesia as Operation Lotus ( id, Operasi Seroja), began on 7 December 1975 when the Indonesian National Armed Forces, Indonesian military (ABRI/TNI) invaded East Timor under the pretext of anti-c ...

(known in Indonesia as ''Operasi Seroja''). Indonesian AMX-13s also participated in

2003–2004 Indonesian offensive in Aceh The 2003–2004 Indonesian offensive in Aceh against the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) separatists was launched on May 19, 2003, and lasted nearly one year. It followed a two-week ultimatum to GAM to accept special autonomy under Indonesian rule. It wa ...

. The AMX-13 gain momentary notoriety in Indonesian social media in September 2020, when videos of an AMX-13 lost control when making a turn and run over a street food vendor cart and four motorcycles spread on social media. The accident happened on 10 September 2020 at around 11:00 WIB, at an intersection in Cipatat District,

West Bandung Regency West Bandung Regency (''Kabupaten Bandung Barat'') is a landlocked regency of West Java. It was established in 2007, formerly it was part of Bandung Regency. The capital of this new regency is Ngamprah, an industrial district on the west side of ...

during a 4th Cavalry Battalion's company-level combat readiness exercise. No one was injured and the owners of the cart and vehicles were given compensations totaling 15.4 million rupiahs.

Lebanon

The

Lebanese Army ) , founded = 1 August 1945 , current_form = 1991 , disbanded = , branches = Lebanese Ground ForcesLebanese Air Force Lebanese Navy , headquarters = Yarze, Lebanon , flying_hours = , websit ...

was an important user of the AMX-13 in the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

, purchasing 42 AMX-13/75s and 22 AMX-13/105s from France in 1972. Lebanese AMX-13s saw extensive service during the

Lebanese Civil War The Lebanese Civil War ( ar, الحرب الأهلية اللبنانية, translit=Al-Ḥarb al-Ahliyyah al-Libnāniyyah) was a multifaceted armed conflict that took place from 1975 to 1990. It resulted in an estimated 120,000 fatalities a ...

in the hands of the regular Lebanese Army and various armed groups in and outside

Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...

between 1975 and 1990, following the collapse of the

Lebanese Armed Forces ) , founded = 1 August 1945 , current_form = 1991 , disbanded = , branches = Lebanese Ground ForcesLebanese Air Force Lebanese Navy , headquarters = Yarze, Lebanon , flying_hours = , websit ...

(LAF) structure in January 1976, and later again in February 1984 in the wake of the

Mountain War The Mountain War ( ar, حرب الجبل , ''Harb al-Jabal''), also known as the War of the Mountain and Guerre de la Montagne in French language, French, was a subconflict between the Lebanese Civil War#Second phase of the war.2C 1982-1983, 1 ...

. During this period, most of the regular Army's AMX-13s fell into the hands of the competing Christian-rightist

Lebanese Front The Lebanese Front ( ar, الجبهة اللبنانية, ''al-Jabha al-Lubnaniyya'') or ''Front Libanais'' in French, was a coalition of mainly Lebanese Nationalist parties formed in 1976 by majority Christian intellectuals during the Lebane ...

and Muslim-leftist

Lebanese National Movement The Lebanese National Movement (LNM) ( ar, الحركة الوطنية اللبنانية, ''Al-Harakat al-Wataniyya al-Lubnaniyya'') or Mouvement National Libanais (MNL) in French, was a front of leftist, pan-Arabist and Syrian nationalist par ...

(LNM) militias or were taken way by dissident rebellious Lebanese Army factions. France later delivered additional 13 AMX-13/90s to the regular Lebanese Army between 1978-1981 and again in 1984. Captured AMX-13s were employed by the

Lebanese Arab Army The Lebanese Arab Army – LAA (Arabic: جيش لبنان العربي transliteration ''Jayish Lubnan al-Arabi''), also known as the Arab Army of Lebanon (AAL), Arab Lebanese Army or Armée du Liban Arabe (ALA) in French, was a predominantly ...

(LAA),

Army of Free Lebanon The Army of Free Lebanon – AFL ( ar, جيش لبنان الحر, ''Jayish Lubnan al-Horr'') or "Colonel Barakat's Army" ( ar, جيش بركات, ''Jayish Barakat''), also designated Armée du Liban Libre (ALL) and Armée du Colonel Barakat in ...

(AFL),

Kataeb Regulatory Forces The Kataeb Regulatory Forces – KRF ( ar, قوى الكتائب النظامية, translit=Quwwāt al-Katāʾib an-Niẓāmiyyah) or Forces Regulatoires des Kataeb (FRK) in French, were the military wing of the right-wing Lebanese Christian Ka ...

(KRF),

Tigers Militia The Tigers militia ( ar, نمور الأحرار, transliterated: ''Numūr'' or ''Al-Noumour''), also known as NLP Tigers ( ar, links=no, نمور الأحرار , ''Numur al-Ahrar'') or PNL "Lionceaux" in French, was the military wing of the ...

Lebanese Forces The Lebanese Forces ( ar, القوات اللبنانية '')'' is a Lebanese Christian-based political party and former militia during the Lebanese Civil War. It currently holds 19 of the 128 seats in Lebanon's parliament and is therefore th ...

(LF),

South Lebanon Army The South Lebanon Army or South Lebanese Army (SLA; ar, جيش لبنان الجنوبي, Jayš Lubnān al-Janūbiyy), also known as the Lahad Army ( ar, جيش لحد, label=none) and referred to as the De Facto Forces (DFF) by the United Nat ...

(SLA), Amal Movement, and the

People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the principal military force of the People's Republic of China and the armed wing of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The PLA consists of five service branches: the Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, ...

(PLA). Nearly all AMX-13s eventually were returned by the demobilized militias to the Lebanese Army between 1990 and 1993. Currently none of the Lebanese AMX-13 light tanks is believed to remain operational. In July 2018, six of these withdrawn AMX-13 and various other former Lebanese Army military vehicles were dumped in the sea off the coast of

Sidon Sidon ( ; he, צִידוֹן, ''Ṣīḏōn'') known locally as Sayda or Saida ( ar, صيدا ''Ṣaydā''), is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate, of which it is the capital, on the Mediterranean coast. ...

in southern Lebanon and used as part of an

artificial reef An artificial reef is a human-created underwater structure, typically built to promote marine life in areas with a generally featureless bottom, to control erosion, block ship passage, block the use of trawling nets, or improve surfing. Many re ...

Morocco

Morocco used some AMX-13s in the

Sand War The Sand War or the Sands War () was a border conflict between Algeria and Morocco in October 1963. It resulted largely from the Moroccan government's claim to portions of Algeria's Tindouf and Béchar provinces. The Sand War led to heightene ...

of 1963. Later on, they were engaged in the

Western Sahara conflict The Western Sahara conflict is an ongoing conflict between the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic/Polisario Front and the Kingdom of Morocco. The conflict originated from an insurgency by the Polisario Front against Spanish colonial forces fr ...

. They were supplemented by the similar Austrian

light tank during that war.

Prototypes

* Char AMX-13 (2A):

Prototype A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and Software prototyping, software programming. A prototyp ...

with 4 roadwheels and trailing idler * Char AMX-13 (2B): Prototype with 5 roadwheels and raised idler * Char AMX-13 (2C): Prototype with FL-10 turret and two support rollers * Char AMX-13 (2D): Prototype with 4 support rollers * Char AMX-13 (2E): Prototype with 3 support rollers and 90 mm gun * Char AMX-13 (2F): 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-13/105: Fitted with a 105 mm howitzer barrel * AMX-13/75 (AMX-13e): Experimental variant with a short-barreled SA 49 75 mm in FL-11 oscillating 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 AB Bofors ( , , ) is a former Swedish arms manufacturer which today is part of the British arms concern BAE Systems. The name has been associated with the iron industry and artillery manufacturing for more than 350 years. History Located in ...

L/70 gun in a large faceted turret (DCA = Défense Contre Avions) * 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 Hot or the acronym HOT may refer to: Food and drink *Pungency, in food, a spicy or hot quality *Hot, a wine tasting descriptor Places * Hot district, a district of Chiang Mai province, Thailand **Hot subdistrict, a sub-district of Hot Distric ...

ATGM launchers

Production variants

*AMX-Chaffee: Some initial vehicles were fitted with the turret of the M24 Chaffee *AMX-13 TT 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-10 turret, with four top rollers and revised stowage *AMX-13/75 Modèle 51 FL11: Low-recoil SA 49 75 mm gun in FL-11 turret as installed in

Panhard EBR The Panhard EBR (Panhard ''Engin Blindé de Reconnaissance'', French: Armored Reconnaissance Vehicle) is an armoured car designed by Panhard for the French Army and later used across the globe, notably by the French Army during the Algerian War ...

armoured car, with two top rollers *AMX-13 T75 (Char Lance SS-11): Fitted with SS.11 ATGM launchers *AMX-13 T75 avec TCA: Fitted with an electronic

guidance system A guidance system is a virtual or physical device, or a group of devices implementing a controlling the movement of a ship, aircraft, missile, rocket, satellite, or any other moving object. Guidance is the process of calculating the changes in po ...

for the missiles (TCA stands for "télécommande automatique") *AMX-13/90 C90: FL-10 turret refitted with the CN 90 F3 90 mm gun *AMX-13/90 LRF: Fitted with a

laser rangefinder A laser rangefinder, also known as a laser telemeter, is a rangefinder that uses a laser beam to determine the distance to an object. The most common form of laser rangefinder operates on the time of flight principle by sending a laser pulse in ...

*AMX-13/105 Modèle 58: Fitted with a

CN 105-57 The CN-105-57, also known as CN 105/57 or D1504, is a light French 105 mm tank gun. Design The CN 105-57 is a light 105 mm rifled tank gun originally designed to be mounted on light tanks with oscillating turret such as the French AMX-13 and ...

105 mm Gun in an FL-12 turret (used by the

Argentine Army The Argentine Army ( es, Ejército Argentino, EA) is the land force branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic and the senior military service of Argentina. Under the Argentine Constitution, the president of Argentina is the commander- ...

and the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

) *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 An anti-aircraft vehicle, also known as a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (SPAAG) or self-propelled air defense system (SPAD), is a mobile vehicle with a dedicated anti-aircraft capability. Specific weapon systems used include machine guns, ...

version with a retractable radar and two 30mm cannons fitted; 60 were produced beginning in 1969. (DCA = Défense Contre Avions) *AMX-13 raining Tank AMX-13 with the

turret Turret may refer to: * Turret (architecture), a small tower that projects above the wall of a building * Gun turret, a mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon * Objective turret, an indexable holder of multiple lenses in an optical microscope * Mi ...

removed; used for driver training *AMX-13 CD (Char de Depannage) Modèle 55 (AMX-D): Recovery version *AMX-13 PDP (Poseur De Pont) Modèle 57: 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

;Indonesia AMX-13 Yonkav 4 Kodam III Siliwangi TNI-AD 4

AMX-13/75 Modèle 51 (SM1) some were upgraded in 1995 with

Detroit Diesel Detroit Diesel Corporation (DDC) is an American diesel engine manufacturer headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is a subsidiary of Daimler Truck North America, which is itself a wholly owned subsidiary of the mulitinational Da ...

DDA GM6V-53T, ZF 5WG-180 Automatic Transmission, and

hydropneumatic Hydropneumatic suspension is a type of motor vehicle suspension system, designed by Paul Magès, invented by Citroën, and fitted to Citroën cars, as well as being used under licence by other car manufacturers, notably Rolls-Royce ( Silver Shado ...

"Dunlopstrut" Suspension. Based on Singapore SM1 upgrade packages but without the upgraded gunner sight. *AMX-13/105 Modèle 58 (SM1) some were upgraded in 1995 with

DDA GM6V-53T, ZF 5WG-180 Automatic Transmission, and

"Dunlopstrut" Suspension. Based on Singapore SM1 upgrade packages but without the upgraded gunner sight. *AMX-13/105 Retrofit major modernization and upgrade program done by local defense firm PT. PINDAD featuring reworked front glacis to accommodate new diesel engine & transmission, new torsion bar suspension, updated FCS (laser range finder, thermal imager, day camera), new 105 mm gun ( GIAT CN 105 G1) and turret (

Steyr Steyr (; Central Bavarian: ''Steia'') is a statutory city, located in the Austrian federal state of Upper Austria. It is the administrative capital, though not part of Steyr-Land District. Steyr is Austria's 12th most populated town and the 3rd l ...

JT-1 Oscillating turret) from SK-105 ''Kürassier''. ;Netherlands * AMX-13/FL-12: Dutch upgrade fitted with a

searchlight A searchlight (or spotlight) is an apparatus that combines an extremely bright source (traditionally a carbon arc lamp) with a mirrored parabolic reflector to project a powerful beam of light of approximately parallel rays in a particular direc ...

and

FN MAG The FN MAG is a Belgian 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, designed in the early 1950s at Fabrique Nationale (FN) by Ernest Vervier. It has been used by more than 80 countries and it has been made under licence in several countries, inc ...

machine guns * AMX-13/FL-15: Dutch FL-12 version refitted with an FL-15 Turret ;Peru *AMX-13PA5 ''Escorpion'' Upgrade for a standard AMX-13/105 by the Peruvian designer Sergio Casanave, fitted with modern communications and four

anti-tank guided missiles An anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), anti-tank missile, anti-tank guided weapon (ATGW) or anti-armor guided weapon is a guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy heavily armored military vehicles. ATGMs range in size from shoulder- ...

. *AMX-13PA8 ''Escorpion-2'' Equipped with ''Dante'' fire-control system (a ballistic computer/laser range-finder/night vision/CCTV system). Four Ukrainian laser-guided Barrier R-2 anti-tank missiles and 7.62 mm and 12.7 mm machine-guns were also proposed. ;Singapore AMX-13 ALB

*AMX-13S Rebuild of standard AMX-13/75 Modèle 51 (FL-10) by

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

prior to SM-1 upgrade. *AMX-13SM1 (Singapore Modernised 1): 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 ST Engineering Land Systems Ltd (STELS), doing business as ST Kinetics, is a strategic business area of ST Engineering and handles land systems and specialty vehicles. In 2000, ST Engineering acquired the Chartered Industries of Singapore (CIS) ...

. The 75 mm main gun remained unchanged. ; * ;Switzerland *Leichter Panzer 51: Swiss Army version ; * ;Venezuela *AMX-13V CLI upgraded AMX-13/90 for

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

n Army *AMX-13

AR-160 The ArmaLite AR-18 is a Gas-operated reloading, gas-operated assault rifle chambered for 5.56×45mm NATO ammunition. The AR-18 was designed at ArmaLite in California by Arthur Miller, Eugene Stoner, George Sullivan, and Charles Dorchester in 19 ...

'' Venezuelan MLRS version armed with IMI

LAR-160 The LAR-160 is a light artillery rocket (hence ''LAR'') with a 160mm calibre, a minimum range of 12 km and a maximum range of 45 km, from a multiple rocket launcher. Each standard launcher holds two 13 rocket Launch Pod Containers (LPC's ...

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

. The APC chassis was itself the basis of a number of variants. * AMX-VTT *

Self propelled howitzer

;105 mm

* AMX Mk 61 (AMX-105A) Automoteur de 105 du AMX-13 en casemate: 105 mm casemate SP *AMX Mk 61 (Netherlands) Dutch Army version with 30 caliber howitzer and Browning commander's MG *AMX Mk 62 (AMX-105B) Prototype with 105 mm howitzer in a turret *AMX Mk 63 (AMX-105B, AMX Mk F2) Prototype of Mk 62 with MG cupola fitted to turret ;155 mm * AMX Mk F3 (''Obusier de 155 mm sur affut automoteur'' AMX-13 T, AMX-155) 155 mm SPH

Operators

AMX-13 (current)

*: 108 AMX-13/105s *: From the total of 305 of which are 175 AMX-13/75 and 130 AMX-13/105, it is estimated only 120+ mixed and modernized AMX-13/75 and AMX-13/105 still in service as 2018. Scheduled for replacement by the PT Pindad Harimau jointly developed by Indonesia and Turkey. 10 AMX-13 PDP Modèle 57 and 34 AMX-13 CD Modèle 55 (AMX-D) ARV. *: 120 AMX-13/75s and 4 AMX-13 CD armoured recovery vehicles; 5 operational. *: 108 tanks; 30 AMX-13/75s and 78 AMX-13/105s *: 67 AMX-13s; 36 AMX-13/75s and 31 AMX-13/90s

AMX-13 (former)

*: 44 AMX-13/75s *: 60 AMX-13/105 and 2 AMX-13 PDP armoured bridge-layers *: 72 AMX-13/75s and 3 AMX-13 CD armoured recovery vehicles *: 555 AMX-13s *: 20 AMX-13/75s *: 5 AMX-13/75s *: 60 AMX-13/90s *: 15 AMX-13/75s *: 20 AMX-13/75sKolodziej, Edward A. "Making and Marketing Arms: The French Experience and Its Implications for the International System." ''Princeton University Press'', 2014. . pp 48–49. *: 4,300 (of all types) *: 8 AMX-13/75s *: 164 AMX-13/75s *: 400 AMX-13/75s *: 75 tanks; 42 AMX-13/75s, 13 AMX-13/90s and 22 AMX-13/105s *: 56 AMX-13/75s; possibly purchased second-hand from Singapore *: 131 AMX-13/105s, as ''AMX-13 PRLTTK'' (''Pantserrups Lichte Tank'') and 34 AMX-13 PRB (''Pantserrups Berging'') armoured recovery vehicles. All retired in 1983 *: Operationalized some amounts of Captured Indian AMX-13/75s. *: 340 second-hand AMX-13/75s received (150 from Switzerland, 150 from India, 40 from Israel) *: 4 AMX-13 CD armoured recovery vehicles *: 200 AMX-13/75s *: 30 AMX-13/75s

In popular culture

The AMX-13 has made some major TV and film appearances, most notably in the 1984 French war film ''

Les Morfalous Les Morfalous (literally ''The Greedy-Guts'', in French argot ; English title: ''The Vultures'') is a 1984 French adventure film, starring Jean-Paul Belmondo and directed by Henri Verneuil, featuring the French Foreign Legion during the Second Wor ...

'', where a Tunisian Army AMX-13/75 is mocked up as a German

Panzer IV The ''Panzerkampfwagen'' IV (Pz.Kpfw. IV), commonly known as the ''Panzer'' IV, was a German medium tank developed in the late 1930s and used extensively during the Second World War. Its ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz. 161. The Panze ...

medium tank serving with the

Afrika Korps The Afrika Korps or German Africa Corps (, }; DAK) was the German expeditionary force in Africa during the North African Campaign of World War II. First sent as a holding force to shore up the Italian defense of its African colonies, the ...

. A Moroccan Army AMX-13/75 briefly appears in the 2001

action Action may refer to: * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video game Film * Action film, a genre of film * ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford * ''Action'' (1980 fil ...

thriller

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

Spy Game ''Spy Game'' is a 2001 American action thriller film directed by Tony Scott and starring Robert Redford and Brad Pitt. The film grossed $62 million in the United States and $143 million worldwide on a $115 million budget, and received mostly po ...

'', mocked up as a Lebanese militia light tank being hit by a

RPG-7 The RPG-7 (russian: link=no, РПГ-7, Ручной Противотанковый Гранатомёт, Ruchnoy Protivotankoviy Granatomyot) is a portable, reusable, unguided, shoulder-launched, anti-tank, rocket-propelled grenade launcher. ...

anti-tank round in a street fighting scene set during the

War of the Camps The War of the Camps ( ar, حرب المخيمات, ''Harb al-mukhayimat''), was a subconflict within the 1984–1990 phase of the Lebanese Civil War, in which the Palestinian refugee camps in Beirut were besieged by the Shia Amal militia. ...

References

;Notes ;Bibliography * * * * * Samer Kassis, ''30 Years of Military Vehicles in Lebanon'', Beirut: Elite Group, 2003. *M.P. Robinson, Peter Lau and Guy Gibeau, ''Images of War: The AMX 13 Light Tank, A Complete History – rare photographs from wartime archives'', Pen & Sword Military, Barnsley 2018.

External links

Chars-francais.net
{{DEFAULTSORT:Amx-13 Light tanks of France Light tanks of the Cold War Tanks with autoloaders Military vehicles introduced in the 1950s