Aviation Naval Warfare Land Systems Small Arms By Flag By Year By Tag

Panhard ERC 90

1977 ARMORED PERSONNEL CARRIER COLD WAR FALKLANDS WAR MODERN

History of Panhard ERC 90

French groups Renault and Panhard submitted designs to meet the requirements of the French Army for new 4x4 and 6x6 amphibious armoured fighting vehicles in the 1970s. When Panhard lost a defense contract to the French Army, the company modified its design as a private company into a new line of armored vehicles for export. The new product became the "ERC 90" six-wheeled armored vehicle, the main version of which had a powerful 90mm gun in a 360-degree turret. The official name of the type is "Panhard ERC 90" - "ERC" stands for "Engin de Reconnaissance a Canon de 90mm").

The first vehicles were delivered to the Argentine Navy as "ERC 90 F1" with Hispano-Suiza "Lynx" 90mm gun mounted in the turret - the same as the Panhard AML family of four-wheeled armoured vehicles.

The core qualities of the Panhard ERC 90 are its all-terrain value and inherent characteristics of a long-range, powerful strike main gun. A crew of three drives relatively comfortably under the protection of small arms fire and artillery jets, while the vehicle is able to traverse the unforgiving frontier terrain. The thickest point of armor protection is 10mm (steel construction), which is a disadvantage for military vehicles in direct contact. However, the ERC 90 is primarily designed for speed and maneuverability as the primary focus of armed reconnaissance missions. As such, its battlefield value - provided by its 90mm main gun - is a secondary bonus in many cases.

The main guns are fitted with 2 x 7.62mm anti-infantry and anti-aircraft machine guns - the first is mounted coaxially on the turret and the second is optionally mounted on top of the turret. The vehicle displaces 9.15 tons and has a barrel 25 feet long, 8.2 feet wide and 7.4 feet high. The side profile of the ERC 90 is dominated by six large wheels flanking the fuselage, while the front pair is power-assisted and mounted further afield from the rear pair. The bottom bracket can be lifted off the ground for driving on paved surfaces which helps extend the life of the tires when they are not needed, as they are primarily aiding aid when driving off-road. The driver drives from the front left cockpit, while the gunner and vehicle commander reside in a powered turret with two roof hatches for entry and exit.

Four electric smoke grenade launchers (mounted in pairs on either side of the turret) enable the crew to generate their own smoke screen. NBC protection is available as an optional package, as are passive night vision goggles, a navigation kit and air conditioning.

Power comes from a Peugeot V6 petrol engine producing 155 hp at 5,250 rpm. A militarized derivative of the civilian model, this powerplant produces a maximum road speed of 56 mph on ideal surfaces, while the operating range peaks at 454 miles, giving the type good inherent range.

The ERC is also designed to be amphibious in nature, so it can traverse water sources as deep as 1.2 meters without prior modification. With its complete pre-launch amphibious kit, the ERC becomes fully amphibious and can traverse deeper water sources while propelled by its wheels, while optional hydrojets add further propulsion.

In October 1979, Argentina became the first foreign buyer of the breed with an order of 36 French ERC 90 F1 "Lynx". It was followed by the Mexican Army, which purchased another 42 prototypes in 1981. At this point, the French Army became interested in Panhard's design, mainly because it sought to create a Fast Deployment Force (FDF) to provide rapid-response weapons to global security concerns related to the former colony. The French Army already managed a similar AMX-10RC 6x6 armoured vehicle with its 105mm turret main gun, but this type proved incompatible with French Air Force transports at the time. For this reason, the French Army began evaluating the ERC 90 in 1978 and continued until 1980, after which an improved version of the ERC 90 was officially adopted in 1984.

The new brand - ERC 90 F4 "Sagaie" ("Spear") - introduces the GIAT TS 90 series turret with a long-barreled 90mm high-speed main gun. The unit's main advantage is support for anti-armor-piercing anti-tank projectiles (APDS-FS), which modernize the ERC 90 family to deal with emerging battlefield threats - especially the ubiquitous Soviet T-72 main battle tank that has emerged worldwide more inside. In contrast, the original ERC 90 F1 emblem was limited to firing high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) projectiles, which proved to be a tactical limitation in every way as technology had outgrown it. The F4 is armed with up to 20 x 90mm projectiles and 2,000 x 7.62mm ammunition that feeds the machine gun.

After the French Army became the first operators of the F4 brand, the Cote d'Ivoire Army decided to buy the F4 itself, becoming their first foreign customer.

In practice, the ERC 90 series has proven itself right from the start. Ecuador, Gabon and Nigeria received more orders, bringing total production to about 407 vehicles. The French Army manages the largest ERC 90 inventory to date, with 192 delivered. Mexico was second with 120, followed by Nigeria with 46.

The vehicle has proven capable of armed reconnaissance missions and is very effective in security details. The French Army deployed its fleet of ERC 90s in Sarajevo and Cote d'Ivoire, while Argentine ERC 90s were deployed in anger against Britain during the 1982 Falklands War.

All ERC 90 production is taken over by Societe de Constructions Mecaniques Panhard et Levassor in Paris, France.

The production of the ERC 90 is focused on two basic combat models - the ERC 90 F1 "Lynx" (export) and the ERC 90 F4 "Sagaie" (GIAT TS 90 turret). The series has been expanded to include the EMC 91 fire support vehicle, which has an 81mm mortar mounted on an EMC-style Hispano-Suiza turret, and a dedicated anti-aircraft vehicle in the ERC 20 with 2 x 20mm automatic cannons.

The ERC 60-20 is a hybrid of the EMC 91 and ERC 20 as it houses a 60mm mortar and a 20mm automatic cannon in the Hispano-Suiza 60-20 Serval turret structure. The ERC 90 (diesel) is the diesel powered version of the base model ERC 90 for customers who choose a diesel powered mount.

The ultimate ERC 90 incarnation and last available variant - the ERC 90 "Sagaie 2" - was first offered in 1985. Sagaie 2 resulted in the use of the SAMM TTB-190 turret (now carrying 32 to 35 x 90 mm projectiles) on a longer and wider hull structure. The effectiveness of the original 90mm high-speed TS-90 main gun has been retained, while the turret armor has been improved.

The Sagaie 2 also uses a modern Fire Control System (FCS) and a wider range of optics. Power comes from 2 x Peugeot XD 3T 146hp turbo diesels, but 2 x V6 petrol engines are also available for discerning customers.

All other key features - 6x6 wheel drive, motor assisted front wheels, amphibious assist - have been retained. Gabon procured relatively limited quantities of Sagaie 2.

In order to provide a logistically friendly battlefield solution, the ERC 90 shares many of the same components as the Panhard VCR 6x6 armoured personnel carrier (developed at the same time). First delivered in 1979, APC produced several models and had some success with foreign orders, including 100 sent to Iraq, which were given to them during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s.