France May Send AMX-10P Amphibious Armored Vehicles to Ukraine

• France is reportedly bearing in mind sending AMX-10P amphibious infantry preventing automobiles to Ukraine.
• France has already despatched its AMX-10RC armored automobile to Ukraine, amongst different army {hardware}.
• The AMX-10P can have some software however it is unclear what number of France has or what situation they are in.

France would possibly ship Ukraine its AMX-10Ps, an amphibious infantry preventing automobiles that the French army took out of provider just about a decade in the past.

Whilst the switch is not showed, the record raises questions on what number of are to be had and their mechanical situation.

The prospective hands sale used to be first reported on Twitter in February through French protection journalist Jean-Dominique Merchet and later picked up through the Ukrainian Ministry of Protection.

France would possibly ship 25 AMX-10Ps, Merchet stated. Paris has already despatched its Caesar 155 mm self-propelled howitzer and its AMX-10RC armored automobile. The AMX-10RC’s heavy cannon and lightweight design has led some to name it a “little bit of an oddity.”

The AMX-10P first seemed in 1968 and went into manufacturing in 1973. It used to be considered one of a brand new era of infantry preventing automobiles — akin to america’s M2 Bradley and the Soviets’ BMP — that changed evenly armed armored team of workers carriers within the Nineteen Seventies.

The AMX-10P’s absolutely amphibious capacity set it with the exception of its US and Soviet opposite numbers, which want slight changes to perform in water, and it might end up helpful for crossing Ukraine’s many rivers.

The AMX-10P is a more or less 15-ton tracked automobile with a team of 3 — commander, motive force, and gunner — in addition to room for 8 infantry. Whilst it got here in 15 variations, the elemental type utilized by the French Military has a turret with a 20 mm cannon and will trip 40 mph. Some variants had been armed with a 90 mm gun, Milan and HOT anti-tank missiles, or a 120 mm mortar, and different fashions had been designed for command, ahead observer, and radar operations.

The AMX-10P weighs about part the burden of a 27-ton Bradley. One reason why for that can be the AMX-10P’s welded aluminum armor, which is lower than an inch thick at the entrance hull and thinner in other places. That may protect towards shrapnel, small-arms hearth, and lightweight cannon rounds however no longer anti-tank shells and rockets.

About 2,000 AMX-10Ps had been manufactured between 1973 and 1985. Along with France, the AMX-10P has been utilized by 9 international locations, together with Greece, Iraq, and Singapore.

A couple of AMX-10Ps had been upgraded with additional armor and higher gearboxes within the 2000s, however the automobile has been changed in French provider through the 25-ton VBCI — an eight-wheeled, 25-ton infantry preventing automobile very similar to america’s Stryker and the wheeled VBMR Griffon.

French armor officials regarded as the AMX-10P to be “very strong,” Léo Péria-Peigné, a protection skilled on the French Institute of World Members of the family, informed Insider, calling it “quite simple, somewhat environment friendly.”

Then again, by the point the AMX-10P used to be retired, the automobiles “had been somewhat drained,” Péria-Peigné stated. Certainly, he used to be stunned to be told that there have been any to be had to be despatched to Ukraine: “In France, when a automobile is retired or changed, it does not exist anymore.”

That raises questions concerning the situation of the remainder AMX-10Ps. Ukraine should already deal with a garage-sale choice of donated armored automobiles from a large number of international locations.

Spain is sending 10 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine — however they’re in such deficient situation that the Spanish govt is spending tens of millions to refurbish them. Germany will promote 88 Leopard 1 tanks — which debuted in 1965 — however additionally they want refurbishment.

This implies that it can be some time sooner than Ukraine will get any AMX-10Ps. Whilst Kyiv is worked up to get no matter armor it could possibly, this will likely be but any other automobile that Ukrainian troops should learn how to perform, restore, and provide — whilst the AMX-10P and AMX-10RC percentage some car elements, they aren’t comparable.

However, the AMX-10P could be a welcome boost to Ukraine’s army, despite the fact that no longer a the most important one. It’s slightly rapid and this is a light-weight tracked automobile, which will have to permit it to traverse smaller bridges and cushy terrain.

Additionally it is somewhat simple to be told and perform, Péria-Peigné stated, describing it as “more effective than most present” infantry preventing automobiles. As Ukraine struggles to assimilate a plethora of Western hands temporarily, an previous however easy armored automobile is also just right sufficient.

Michael Peck is a protection author whose paintings has seemed in Forbes, Protection Information, Overseas Coverage mag, and different publications. He holds a grasp’s in political science. Apply him on Twitter and LinkedIn.