Panhard M3

Panhard M3 APC (France)

KEY RECOGNITION FEATURES

• Pointed front with well sloped glacis plate, driver's position in upper part, horizontal roof with main armament normally centre, secondary armament rear

• Vertical hull sides with upper part sloping inwards, three observation/firing hatches each side, vertical hull rear with two outward-opening doors each with firing port

• Two large road wheels each side with forward-opening door between, wheels outside hull envelope with mudguards which blow off if vehicle runs over mine

SPECIFICATIONS

Crew: Armament: Length: Width: Height:

Height to hull top: Ground clearance: Wheelbase: Weight, combat: Weight, unloaded: Power-to-weight ratio: Engine:

Maximum road speed: Maximum water speed: Maximum road range: Fuel capacity: Fording: Vertical obstacle: Trench (1 channel): Trench (5 channels): Gradient: Side slope: Armour: Armour type: NBC system: Night vision equipment: 2+10 See text 4.45m 2.4m 2.48m (with twin 7.62mm MG turret) 2m 0.35m 2.7m 6,100kg 5,300kg 14.75hp/tonne Panhard Model 4 HD 4-cylinder air-cooled petrol developing 90hp at 4,700rpm 90km/hr 4km/hr 600km 165 lit Amphibious 0.3m 0.8m 3.1m 60% 30% 12mm (maximum) Steel Optional Optional

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DEVELOPMENT

M3 (4x4) was developed by Panhard as a private venture, first prototype completed in 1969 and first production vehicles in 1971. Well over 1,200 have been built for export with sales made to some 35 countries. Ninety-five per cent of automotive components are identical to those of the Panhard AML range 4x4 armoured cars. Panhard M3 is used for a wide range of roles including internal security, ambulance and command post.

Driver sits front, engine to his rear, troop compartment occupies remainder of vehicle. Troops enter and leave via single door in sides and twin doors in rear. Eight firing ports. Wide range of turrets, mounts and cupolas can be mounted on roof armed with cannon, machine guns and ATGWs such as MILAN.

Vehicle is fully amphibious, propelled by its wheels. Wide range of optional equipment including front-mounted winch, air-conditioning system and two electrically operated smoke grenade dischargers.

VARIANTS

M3/VDA anti-aircraft vehicle with one-man power-operated turret armed with twin 20mm cannon. Before firing four outriggers are lowered to ground for a more stable firing platform. This version known to be in service with Ivory Coast, Niger and United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi). M3/VAT repair vehicle with lifting gear at rear. M3/VPC command vehicle with extensive communications equipment. M3/VLA engineer vehicle with front-mounted obstacleclearing blade. M3/VTS ambulance which carries four stretcher patients or six walking wounded, or a mixture, plus its crew. M3 radar can be fitted with wide range of radars including RASIT

battlefield surveillance radar or RA 205 surveillance radar. Buffalo ARC which in 1986 replaced Panhard M3 in production. Essentially a Panhard M3 with additional external stowage spaces and original petrol engine replaced by 146hp V-6 petrol or 95hp diesel. This model now in production and in service with Benin, Colombia and Rwanda. The 95hp diesel is the same Peugeot XD3T that is fitted to the Panhard VBL (4x4) light armoured vehicle and can be bracketed to the Panhard AML

STATUS

Production complete, replaced in production by Buffalo. M3 known to be in service with Algeria, Bahrain, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chad, Democratic Republicof Congo, Gabon, Iraq, Ireland, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Togo, United Arab Emirates.

MANUFACTURER

Societe de Constructions Mecaniques Panhard et Levassor, Paris, France.

Left: Panhard M3 (4x4) with twin 7.62mm MG turret

Right: Panhard M3 with 7.62mm MG

Right: Panhard M3/VAT

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Panhard AML Light Armoured Car (France)

KEY RECOGNITION

FEATURES

• Well sloped inverted V glacis plate with driver's hatch in upper part, horizontal hull top with engine rear, stowage boxes project forward of rear wheels. Diesel engine version has different hull rear

• Turret has bustle that extends over hull rear, vertical sides slope slightly inwards. 90mm gun has prominent double-baffle muzzle brake, no fume extractor or thermal sleeve. Two smoke grenade dischargers each side at turret rear

• Two large road wheels each side with large rearwardopening door to rear of first road wheel. Left door has spare wheel and tyre. Sand channels normally carried across lower hull front

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SPECIFICATIONS (H 90 VERSION)

Crew: 3 Configuration: Armament: Ammunition:

4x4 1 x 90mm, 1 x 7.62mm MG coaxial, 2 x 2 smoke grenade dischargers 20 x 90mm, 2,000 x 7.62mm Length gun forwards: 5.11m 3.79m 1.97m Height overall: 2.07m Ground clearance: 0.33m Wheelbase: 2.5m Weight, combat: 5,500kg Power-to-weight ratio: 16.36hp/tonne Engine: Maximum road speed: Panhard Model 4 HD 4-cylinder aircooled petrol developing 90hp at 4,700rpm. Current production models have Peugeot XD 3Tdiesel developing 98hp and a range of 700 to 800km 90km/hr Maximum road range: 600km Fuel capacity: 156 lit Fording: 1.1m Vertical obstacle: 0.3m Trench with one channel: 0.8m Trench with three channels: 3.1m Gradient: 60% Side slope: Armour: 8-12mm (hull Armour type: Steel NBC system: None Night vision equipment: Optional

DEVELOPMENT

Panhard AML (Automitrailleusse Legere) was developed for the French Army with first prototypes completed in 1959 and first production vehicles in 1961. By 1999 over 4,800 vehicles had been built for home and export (including those built under licence in South Africa by Sandock-Austral). Panhard M3 (4x4) armoured personnel carrier (qv) shares 95 per cent automotive components of AML and has also been built in large numbers.

All AMLs have similar layout with driver front, turret centre and engine rear. The Hispano-Suiza two-man H90 turret traverses through 360° and the 90mm gun elevates from -8° to + 15°. Main armament comprises 90mm gun which fires HE, HEAT, canister and smoke projectiles. 7.62mm machine gun is mounted coaxial with left of main armament, and 7.62mm or 12.7mm machine gun can be mounted on turret roof.

VARIANTS

AML with Lynx 90 turret. Replaced H90 turret, similar armament but can have powered traverse, laser rangefinder and night vision equipment, commander's cupola raised on left side. AML with HE-60-7 turret, 60mm mortar and twin 7.62mm MGs. AML with HE60-12 turret, 60mm mortar and 12.7mm MG. AML with HE60-20 turret, 60mm mortar and 20mm cannon. AML with HE60-20 Serval turret, replaced above in production. AML with S 530 turret, twin 20mm anti-aircraft cannon, used only by Venezuela. AML with diesel engine, current production AMLs have Panhard diesel replaced by more fuel efficient Peugeot diesel which is also installed in the Panhard VBL (4x4) (qv) light armoured vehicle. Panhard also now offer an upgrade package

that can include the new diesel engine, improved automotives, new exhaust and upgraded weapons. For the H90 turret, for example, the 90mm gun can be modified to fire APFSDS ammunition, a laser rangefinder added for improved first round hit probability and passive night vision equipment installed. South African-built vehicle is known as Eland and ran through to Mk 7 in two basic versions: Eland 60 with 60mm mortar and 7.62mm MG and Eland 90 with 90mm gun and 7.62mm coaxial MG. Both have roof-mounted 7.62mm MG, different engine and detailed differences to French-built vehicles.

STATUS

Production as required. In service with Algeria, Argentina, Bahrain, Benin, Bosnia Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chad, Djibouti, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Gabon, Iraq, Ireland, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lebanon, Lesoto, Malawai, Malaysia, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Polisario guerrillas, Portugal, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Togo, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, Yemen and Zimbabwe.

MANUFACTURERS

Societe de Constructions Mecaniques Panhard and Levassor, Paris, France; Sandock Austral (today called Reumech OMC), South Africa.

4x4 VEHICLES

Above: Panhard AML with HE60-20 Serval turret

Right: Panhard AML with H90 90mm turret