| AMX-13 VCI | |
|---|---|
Mexican AMX-VCI (DNC1)
| |
| Type | Armored personnel carrier |
| Place of origin | France |
| Service history | |
| Wars | Turkish invasion of Cyprus Indonesian invasion of East Timor[1] Lebanese Civil War South Lebanon conflict (1985–2000) Cenepa War Mexican drug war South Sudanese Civil War |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 15.0 tonnes |
| Length | 5.7 m |
| Width | 2.67 m |
| Height | 2.41m |
| Crew | 3 + 10 passengers |
| Armor | 10-40mm |
Main | turret mounted 20mm F2/M693 autocannon |
Secondary | 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine gun or 7.62 mm MAS |
| Engine | SOFAM Model 8Gxb 8-cyl. water-cooled petrol 190 kW (250 hp) |
| Power/weight | 16.7/tonne |
| Suspension | Torsion-bar |
Operational | 350 km |
| Maximum speed | 60 km/h |
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, where it goes under the name of DNC-1 and is armed with a 20mm cannon.
Beginning in 1957, some 3,000 vehicles were produced. It was initially produced as the AMX-13 VTT (véhicule de transport de troupe), which carried ten infantrymen and was armed with either an AA-52 7.62 mm machine gun or a 12.7 mmM2 Browning machine gun in an open mounting.[2] The final versions had a turret equipped with a 20mm light autocannon, producing a vehicle that can be seen as an early example of the infantry fighting vehicle.
The AMX-13 VCI itself was the basis for a number of variants:
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A total of 60 AMX-VCIs were delivered to the Lebanese Army in 1971-72,[4] with additional 30 vehicles being reportedly delivered in May 1983.[5][6] A number of VCIs were seized by the Amal Movement militia and the pro-Israeli South Lebanon Army (SLA) militia in February 1984 after the defeat of the Lebanese government forces by Shia Muslim and Druze militias during the Mountain War. The captured vehicles were quickly pressed into service by the SLA, who used them during the South Lebanon conflict (1985–2000) until the collapse of the militia in the wake of the Israeli withdrawal of April 2000; those used by Amal were returned to the Lebanese Army earlier in October 1990. VCIs up-armed with US M40 106mm recoilless rifles were also employed by Lebanese Army General Michel Aoun's loyalist troops during the Elimination War waged against his Christian rivals of the Lebanese Forces (LF) militia at East Beirut in February 1990, who in turn also managed to capture some VCIs from Army barracks, which were returned in 1991-94.[7][8][9]
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Argentina: Argentine Army
Cyprus: VTT/VCA and command post versions in service with the Cypriot National Guard.
Ecuador: Ecuadorian Army
Indonesia: Indonesian Army 200 acquired in the 1960s. As of 2016, only 75 vehicles remain in service.
Mexico: Mexican Army 409 in service
Qatar: Qatar Armed Forces (Army)
Sudan: Sudan People's Armed Forces
Venezuela: Venezuelan Army and Venezuelan National Guard (AMX-VCTB Modernized)
United Arab Emirates: United Arab Emirates Army
Belgium: Belgian Army, successor to the M75 armored personnel carrier. AMX-13 mod.56 VTT (305 vehicles), AMX-13 mod.56 PC (72 vehicles), AMX-13 mod.56 Cargo (58 vehicles), AMX-13 mod.56 Mor (90 vehicles), AMX-13 mod.56 MILAN (86 vehicles) and AMX-13 mod.56 ENTAC (30 vehicles). Replaced by the M113A1-B and the AIFV-B.[10]
France: French Army, replaced by the AMX-10P.
Lebanon: 90 vehicles in service with the Lebanese Army from surplus French Army stocks between 1971 and 1993.[11][12] Replaced by the M113 and the AIFV-B-C25.
Netherlands: Dutch Army, 345 AMX-PRI (infantry fighting vehicle), 162 PRCO (command), 46 PRVR (cargo) et 46 PRGWT (ambulance). 67 PRI modified to mortar carriers (PRMR) et 26 to tank destroyers (PRAT), with TOW missiles[13]
Amal Movement militia: ex-Lebanese Army vehicles in service between 1984 and 1990.
Lebanese Forces: ex-Lebanese Army vehicles in service between 1990 and 1994.[14]
Italy: Italian Army, AMX-13 VCI (various versions) (80-100 vehicles)
Israel: Israel Defense Forces, captured 2 abandoned Lebanese Army VCIs during the 1982 Lebanon War.[15]{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
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French armoured fighting vehicles of the Cold War
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| Light tanks |
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| Medium tanks |
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| Heavy tanks |
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| MBTs |
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| Armoured cars |
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| Armoured personnel carriers |
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| Infantry fighting vehicles |
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| Artillery |
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| Experimental |
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