The French president announced, during a telephone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart, the dispatch of light tanks to Ukraine.
” The president wanted to increase aid “military brought to kyiv” by agreeing to deliver light combat tanks “, explained the French presidency after an hour-long telephone call between the two leaders, specifying that “ this is the first time that tanks of western design have been supplied to the Armed Forces of Ukraine “.
It is therefore AMX 10-RC light combat tanks that will be supplied to the Ukrainian forces. Admittedly, these light armored vehicles have nothing to compare with the Leclerc combat tanks, whose President Zelensky originally made the request in Paris. But the AMX, gradually withdrawn from service in France and replaced by the very modern Jaguar, remains a formidable armored vehicle.
Light and mobile armor
Armed with a 105mm cannon with a range of 2,000m, this wheel-mounted reconnaissance machine entered service 40 years ago. Engaged in combat during the First Gulf War in Afghanistan and in the Sahel, in addition to its great mobility, it has also demonstrated its effectiveness in fire support.
The army had more than 200 copies and all of them are certainly no longer in a condition to fight. But this shows the change in the management of decommissioned equipment, because until now, this equipment was purely and simply destroyed. This time, the stocks of the French army could be useful to Ukraine.
” Work Intensification »
Mr. Zelensky has “ thanked “Emmanuel Macron and evoked a” intensification of work with partners to get similar deliveries. In Europe, Germany in particular is reluctant to deliver Leopard-2 combat tanks.
Since the start of the conflict in February, France has provided 18 155 mm Caesar guns with a range of 40 km, mounted on trucks, anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles, forward armored vehicles (VABs), and more recently rocket launchers as well as Crotale missile batteries. And Paris also plans to provide kyiv with six to 12 additional Caesar guns, taken from an order for Denmark. But on this subject, discussions are still ongoing.
In addition to the armament, the French presidency also announced that France would deliver ” in the next few days 63 high-power electric generators, as well as five million LED bulbs to meet the urgent needs of Ukraine, whose energy infrastructure is largely damaged by the incessant Russian strikes.