Panhard AML (Auto Mitrailleuse Legere)

History of Panhard AML (Auto Mitrailleuse Legere)

The Panhard AML ("Auto Mitrailleuse Legere", short for "Light Armored Vehicle") is a French designed light armored vehicle adopted by the French Army to replace the aging stock car of the British origin Daimler "Ferret" in the same role on the battlefield. This type is very popular, especially in the export market where more than forty countries value this product. Operators eventually went from Algeria and Argentina to Venezuela and Yemen.

The French army has about 100 cars in stock (2017), while Saudi Arabia, the current second largest operator, has purchased 300 of the two models and has kept about 235 in service.

After World War II (1939-1945), the destroyed French army used mainly foreign vehicles. The war demonstrated the value of this armored, fast and motor vehicle, especially in reconnaissance and local security, after the Daimler Ferret saw its heyday, the Panhard AML was developed as a private venture successor - It was strongly influenced by the French experience of British design. A pilot vehicle was completed in 1959 and entered French stock after the required testing and evaluation service period.

Serial production began in 1960, and more than 4,800 examples were completed from there.

From the factory, the car features a 4x4 wheel arrangement with excellent ground clearance and a sprung chassis for off-road touring. The crew consisted of three people - the driver, commander and full-time gunner. A turret is placed on the hull superstructure and can mount everything from machine guns to automatic cannons. Most models also carry mortars as standard primary weapons. Power comes from an in-house Panhard 1.99I Model 4 HD flat 4-cylinder air-cooled petrol engine.

The speed reaches 100 km/h and the cruising range is 600 km.

Panhard AML procures and operates economies that have been used in prominent conflicts of the last 20th century, including the Algerian War (1954-1962), the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) and the Falklands War (1982). They are ubiquitous throughout Africa and have seen a lot of action in local rebellions and civil wars across the continent. It was lightweight and relatively easy to transport by rail, road or air, and when equipped with a 90mm main gun with a turret, the car became one of the most powerful in its class - with firepower comparable to the light tanks of the day . In addition to its armor-piercing ability, high-explosive (HE) rounds mean the gun can easily be used against softer targets, such as concealed infantry.

Airborne mortars provided indirect fire support, and machine guns added anti-infantry measures.

The main variants that emerged were AML-60 and AML-90. The AML-60 (also known as "AML HE 60-7" or "AML-245B") was the original production form with a rounded side turret and coaxial 2 x 7.62mm machine guns. On the AML 60-20, the two machine guns were replaced by a 20mm automatic cannon.

The AML-60-20 Serval carried the Hispano-Suiza Serval turret, retained the 20mm automatic cannon, and modernized the mortar installation. The AML-60-12 replaced the automatic cannon with a 12.7mm heavy machine gun (HMG).

The AML-90 (or "AML-245C") carries a 90mm DEFA (main gun) main gun, giving it excellent firepower against lightly armored vehicles. The AML-90 Lynx is a modernized form that adds a range and targeting system to the main gun. Night vision is also available.

The AML S530 was developed as a Self-Propelled Air Defense System (SPAA) with 2 x 20mm automatic cannons. The AML-20 is armed with a 20mm automatic cannon in a new powered turret. AML-30 is the prototype matching Hispano-Suiza HS. 831 30mm gun in powered turret. AML-NA-2 is a proposed anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) aircraft carrier.

The Panhard M3 became an Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) model with up to 95% parts matching to the original AML product.

The car was produced in South Africa under license from the Sandock-Austal brand. It is locally known as "Eland".

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

Depends on weapon:

20 x 90mm bullet

53 x 60mm mortar shells (if equipped)

2,000 x 7.62mm ammo

4 x Smoke Grenade

Changes