- Title: FRANCE: ARMY EQUIPS WITH FRENCH-BUILT TANKS
- Date: 30th June 1967
- Summary: GUN FITTED TO TANK; TANK DRIVING INTO WATER; TANKS ACROSS COUNTRY; GUN BEING TURNED (NATURAL SOUND). Initials JBC/V/JH/PC Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 15th July 1967 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: ROANNE, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Reuters ID: LVABL35BNNH5LMQFMKUEDNCZVIPB
- Story Text: THE FRENCH ARMY IS BEING EQUIPPED WITH NEW, DOMESTICALLY-BUILT TANKS TO REPLACE THE AMERICAN PATTONS AT PRESENT IN SERVICE. THE AMX 30, 36 TONS IN COMBAT ORDER AND ALREADY PARTIALLY IN SERVICE WITH THE 503RD TANK REGIMENT, WAS PUT THROUGH ITS PACES FOR THE PUBLIC NEAR RHEIMS YESTERDAY.
THE FRENCH HAD ORIGINALLY HOPED TO HAVE 900 AMX 30'S IN SERVICE BY 1970, BUT THEIR PROGRAMME HAS GOT BEHIND SCHEDULE AND THE FIGURE HAS NOW BEEN REVISED TO 400. THE 503RD REGIMENT, UNDER ITS COMMANDER, COLONEL JACQUES HUBERDEAU, SHOULD HAVE ITS FULL COMPLEMENT LATER THIS YEAR. FROM THEN ON IT WILL CONTINUE IN PRODUCTION, WITH MODIFICATIONS, UNTIL 1975.
THE CHIEF ALTERATION IS LIKELY TO BE THE SUBSTITUTION OF A MISSILE FOR THE PRESENT 105 MM, SLIDE-MOUNTED SEMI-AUTOMATIC GUN. GENERAL EMILE CANTAREL, THE CHIEF OF STAFF, SAYS THAT THE GUN IS ALL THAT COULD BE ASKED FOR - IT HAS A RANGE OF TWO MILES (3 KMS) AND IS CAPABLE OF PIERCING ANY ARMAMENT. NEVERTHELESS, DISCUSSIONS ON THE SUITABILITY OF MISSILES ARE BEING CONTINUED.
THE TANK IS BASICALLY OF CLASSIC DESIGN, BUT IS FITTED WITH A SNORKEL TO ENABLE IT TO GO THROUGH WATER 13 FEET DEEP. IT STANDS 7 FT. 6 INS HIGH (2.3 METRES) TO THE TOP OF ITS TURRET, AND HAS AN OVERALL LENGTH, WITH ITS GUN IN THE FORWARD POSITION, OF JUST OVER 31 FEET (9.5 METRES).
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