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PanhardVBL
Panhard VBL Scout Car (France)
KEY RECOGNITION
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FEATURES
• Almost vertical hull front, sloping glacis plate with large access panel in upper part, forward part of rear crew compartment slopes to rear, horizontal roof with three hatches, single door in hull rear
• Two large road wheels, hull above wheel arches slope inwards, single forwardopening door in each side with bullet-proof window in upper part
• Heavy armament, eg 12. 7mm M2 HB MG or MILAN, is mounted on circular hatch at rear
SPECIFICATIONS
Crew: Configuration: Armament: Ammunition: Lenejth:__ Width: Height: Ground clearance: Wheelbase: Weight, combat: Weight, empty: Power-to-weight ratio: Engine: Maximum road speed: Maximum water speed: Maximum road range: Fordingj__ Trench: Gradient: Side slope: Armour: Armour type: NBC system: Night vision equipment:
3 4x4 1 x 7.62mm MG, 1 x MILAN ATGW launcher 3000 x 7.62mm, 6 x MILAN ATGW 3.87m 2.02m 1.7m (hull top), 2.14m (with 7.62mm MG) 0.37m 2.45m 3590kg 2890kg 26.76hp/tonne Peugeot XD3T, 4-cylinder turbocharged diesel developing _95h£jrt 4150rpm 95km/hr 4.5km/hr 600km, 800km with onboard fuel cans 0.9m (see text) 0.50m 50% 30% 11.5mm (maximum) Steel Yes Yes (passive for driver) (Above relates to French Army VBL in combat/anti-tank role)
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DEVELOPMENT
In 1978 the French Army issued a requirement for a new light reconnaissance/anti-tank vehicle, the Vehicule Blinde Leger (VBL). Panhard and Renault each built prototypes for competitive evaluation and in February 1985 the Panhard VBL was selected, although at this time the vehicle was already in production for Mexico. The exact number of vehicles required by the French Army is still uncertain but the first order was for 569 vehicles with the first production vehicles for the French Army being completed late in 1990. The French Army has two basic versions of the VBL, combat/anti-tank with a three-man crew armed with a MILAN ATGW launcher and 7.62mm MG, and intelligence/scout with a two-man crew and armed with one 7.62mm and one 12.7mm MG. The 1000th VBL vehicle was completed at the Panhard production facility at Marolles in October 1995.
All versions have engine front and crew compartment rear with three roof hatches and three doors. It is fully amphibious, with propeller at hull rear, and standard equipment includes central tyre pressure system. Options include heater, powered steering and air-conditioning system.
VARIANTS
Panhard has proposed over 20 models of the VBL for the export market including radar (battlefield and air defence), antiaircraft (Mistral SAMs), anti-tank (MILAN, HOT or TOW ATGWs) and internal security to name but a few. There is also a long wheelbase version of the VBL.
STATUS
In production. In service with Benin, Cameroon, Djibouti, France, Gabon, Greece, Indonesia, Kuwait, Oman, Mexico, Niger, Nigeria,
Portugal, Qatar, Rwanda and Togo.
MANUFACTURER
Societe de Constructions Mecaniques Panhard et Levassor, Paris, France.
