THE AMX30 IN SPAIN
1- Introduction:
In the late sixties the Spanish Army was searching for a new MBT to supplement and eventually substitue its old M47 and M48 medium tanks obtained from US Military Aid Programs and Germany. These vehicles were kept on their original condition with petrol engines and were becoming quite obsolete. Also a new MBT was needed to operate without political restrictions on the Spanish Sahara, which was menaced by the agressive and expansive policy of the Kingdom of Morocco towards this Spanish colony,backed by Algeria and Mauritus, as the American tanks were forbbiden to operate overseas by political treaties. The material available in the mid-sixties to the Army in the Sahara was totally inadequate, with obsolete, WW2 vintage, M24 Chaffee light tanks, M8/20 "Hercules" scout cars and Canadian C15-TA "Trumphys" armoured trucks. Something was done in 1966 after 36 Panhard armoured cars, 24 AML60 and 12 AML90, were bought from France; but something more powerful was needed.
The natural choice for Spain was the magnificent Leopard I, then in overspread use by NATO countries and one of the best tanks of the time. The German Government gave an OK to proceed with the sale, but a problem arose regarding the main gun. The British Government had the rights on the L7 105mm tank gun used by the Leopard MBT and forbide its sale to General Franco`s dictatorship. Also this famous gun was used by the American M60, so its acquisition became also impossible. At this moment, the French approached the Spanish Army offering its AMX30. This tank was previously rejected by the Army but, as it was the only option left, in 1970 19 vehicles were contracted. These came from the French Army production chain, 18 of them arriving El Aaiún (Spanish Sahara) on French Artillery Green complete with side skirts and IR lights, while the one remaining was sent to IPE 1 at Madrid for training purpouses.
2- In the Spanish Sahara
Later they were repainted on M15 desierto and used by the Spanish Legion, forming a Medium Tank Company. Time was spent in familiarisation and patrolling the vast desertic area, joined by Panhard AML scout cars and Panhard M3 APCs. During this time many problems arose, the most important ones on the SD200D gearbox and the Hispano Suiza engine, keeping an high number of vehicles out of order. These problems were partly overcome and the tanks were ready at the time of the 1975 crisis. At this time they were joined by M48A1s from the mainland and faced the similar M48A2s from Morocco, but thankfully the crisis finished with the famous Marcha Verde (Green March) without combat and the Spanish Administration left the area.
When all the units returned to Spain, the Spanish Legion Medium Tank Company was disbanded and their MBTs passed from the Legion to the Army, as a complement to their M47s and M48s.
3- Spanish production
Earlier, in 1972, and agreement was reached with the French Goverment for the license building of the AMX30 in Spain. The first contract involved 180 vehicles, with another one being signed later for another 100. Production was started in 1974 by the Empresa Nacional Santa Bárbara (ENSB) at Las Canteras Tank Plant at Seville, with the first vehicles being ready in October, 1974 and finished in 1983 after 280 vehicles were built. The Spanish version was called AMX30E, the E being from Spain (España). This vehicles were very similar to the French ones, but with a few local changes and improvements.
4- Description
The AMX30E is fairly similar to the original project. It shows the French criteria for MBT design of the late fifties, wich asked for mobility first, firepower as a second and protection as a poor third. AMX30 was developed from 1956 by the Atelier de Construction d`Issy-les-Moulineaux to meet the requirements of the armies of France and Germany. First prototypes were completed in 1960. After an evaluation with the German Leopard MBT, wich beated the French prototype, it was ordered into production by the French Army. Production commenced in 1966 at the Atelier de Construction Roanne. Since them, about 3500 vehicles has been completed. Besides France, the vehicle has been adopted by Chile (AMX30B), Cyprus, Greece (retired), Quatar, Saudi Arabia (AMX30S), Spain (AMX30E), United Arab Emirates and Venezuela (AVDS 1790 engine,CD850 gearbox). In the mid-eighties, Saudi Arabia offered to Spain its full AMX30S fleet in exchange of CASA-built military transport aircraft. The offer was rejected.
Driver sits left with some ammo to his right. The driver`s IR driving lights were replaced in Spain by an OB31A image intensification scope, with a range of some 50m. It also has two fixed M223 and one orientable APMX223 periscopes.
Cast turret is in the center, with commander and gunner sitting at the right, loader left. The commader TOP7 cupola has an M208 coincidence rangefinder, M267 binocular scope, M270 prism head, ten M268 observation periscopes and an OB23A IR scope. A 7`62mm MG3S MG is mounted right of commander`s cupola, replacing the original French NF1 MG. A PH9A IR searchlight is placed on the MG mount. The gunner uses an M223 periscope, an M282 orientable periscope, M271 periscope and a OB17A IR scope linked to a Sopelem PH8B IR searchlight on the gun mantlet, with an effective range of 1000m for exploration and 800m for engaging tank-sized targets. Loader has an M282 and two M223 periscopes. The main gun is a DEFA F1 105L56 tank gun. The 105mm gun power-elevates from –8º to +20º, and power-trasverses trought 360º. It has a characteristic metallic thermal sleeve. The coaxial MG has independent elevation for engaging slow-flying aircraft and helicopters. In Spain a Browning M2 HMG is installed, replacing the original French 20mm cannon. The tank carries 50 105mm rounds, 748 12`7mm rounds and 2050 7`62mm rounds. Main tank-killing round was the French HEAT OBUS A-round, developed in France to overcome the loss of efficiency of conventional HEAT rounds, whose penetration power is greatly dismished by rotation. The French solution consisted in separating the movement of the external envolture of that of the inside body with the HEAT charge, by means of ball bearings and a window to allow air inside and out, keeping the rotation of the internal body on acceptable limits. This allows this projectile to punch trough 360mm of standard armour plate at 0º incidence. There is no stabilisation for main armament. Also in the turret is the radio equipment, American AN/VRC45, AN/VRC12 or AN/VRC64 in Spanish vehicles in place of the standard French TR/VP13, which may have been used in the first 19 vehicles of French origin. There is also an AN/VIC1 interphone.
Armour protection is quite thin, both in turret and hull. Maximum armour thickness is believed to be between 70mm-80mm of steel. For example, the turret can be penetrated by 30mm AP shots. At least it has a low and well studied silhouette to reduce the possibility of being hit. It also has a quite good NBQ protection gear, very advanced for its time. The engine is equipped with a fire detection system, by means of a heat-detecting wire which activates acustic and visual alert gear for the crew when engine bay temperature reaches 250ºC.
Engine and transmission are in the rear. The engine ia an Hispano-Suiza HS110 12-cylinder, water cooled, multi fuel, developing 720hp at 2000rpm. This engine was quite outdated for its day and has been a constant source of trouble. Anyway, it has a good fuel consumption level and is comparatively light. Unfortunately, its serviceability has been very low, as it is a engine very prone to suffer an endless nunber of breakdowns, about one every seven hours of running time, keeping a very high number of vehicles unserviceable. The mechanic SD200D gearbox its probably the worst piece of hardware of the complete vehicle. When first installed, it design was already was 20 years late, and in the mid-eighties was simply a driver`s nightmare. It has five forward and reverse gears. Very complicated, makes driving a very demanding and tiring job. Due to its characteristics, as lost of tractive effort when shifting gears, all-terrain mobility is very limited.
The running gear has five roadwheels, drive sprocked rear, idler front, five track return rollers and no skirts.
The roadwheel travel its very short, of only 186 mm, wich makes all-terrain movement a tough enterprise. There are only two shock absorbers, making it a quite unstable fire platform. Track life is 3000Km only, and individual tracklinks have an alarming tendency to lost their rubber pads, making them unusable.
Technical Data for Spanish AMX30E:
Crew: 4
Weight, empty: 34000 Kg
Weight, combat: 36000 Kg
Lengh, gun forwards: 9`48m
Lengh, hull: 6`59m
With: 3`1m
Armament: DEFA F1 105L56mm tank gun, one 12`7mm Browning M2 MG coaxial,
one 7`62mm MG3S MG on chief cupola with remote control, four 50mm smoke dischargers,
two each side of the turret.
Ammunition: 50x105mm, 748x12`7mm, 2050x7`62mm
Height including searchlight: 2`86m
Height to turret top: 2`29m
Ground clereance: 0`44m
Power-to-ratio: 20hp/tonne
Armour: 12`7mm-80mm
Engine: Hispano Suiza HS110 12-cylinder water-cooled supercharged multi-fuel
developing 720hp at 2000 rpm
Maximum road speed: 65 Km/h
Maximum cross-country speed: 19 Km/h
Range:500-600 Km, depending on fuel.
Vertical obstacle: 0`93m Trench: 2`9m
Gradient: 60%
Side slope: 30%
As a matter of fact, probably the Las Canteras Tank Plant where the AMX30E MBTs were built will handle the production of about 390 Leopard IIA5 MBTs after an agreement was reached with the German Goverment in 1995, with the first vehicles expected to came off the production line in 1998. Actually, this agreement is being renegociated with the German Industry.
5- Into the Eighties
In the 80s, the AMX30 was the most modern tank of the Spanish Army, supplemented by 375 modernised M47s (E1 and E2) and 164 modernised M48A5Es. Anyway, the Army was quite dissapointed with the AMX30 perfomances and armour, so a improvement program was started by the ENSB, as soon as 1979. Many experiments were made, mainly involving the instalation of new transmissions from SOMA-Minerva of France and Allison from the USA. In July, 1979, the installation of the French Minerva ENC200 gearbox was studied and this configuration was tried on some vehicles within three Regiments, Alcazar de Toledo 61, Villaviciosa 14 and Wad-Ras 55. This gearbox was installed also in the French AMX30B2. Studies on other possible modifications were started:
720Hp MTU MB833
Ka500 and ZF4 MP250 gearbox.Project 002.
720Hp HS110- Allison CD850-6A.Project 003.
800Hp GM124-71- Allison CD850-6B.Project 009.
750Hp Teledyne-Continental AVDS-1790-2C- Allison CD850 6A.Project 001.
720Hp HS110- Renk gearbox.Project 004.
AMX30 turret on Leopard I chassis.Project Leox.
The Allison CD850-6A automatic transmission was installed on 60 vehicles coupled to a new steering yoke of American origin, discarding the obsolete system of steering levers of the original vehicle. The improved vehicles were designed AMX30 ER. Only 60 vehicles were modificied to this standard because it was viewed as being only a stop-gap measure.
6- The AMX30EM2
The problems with the troublesome Hispano engine continued, so a new program was started to supply a new engine. After a few time, in January 2, 1987 it was decided to modernize 150 AMX30E MBTs with the MTU 833 Ka 501 850hp powerplant, coupled to a new ZF LSG 3000 automatic transmission. At the same time, it was also decided to modify the suspension to an improved AMX30B2 standard, improving greatly cross-country mobility. Another AMX30 deficiency was overcome, with the instalation of a new Hughes Mk 9 A/D computerised fire control system and integrated laser rangefinder coupled to a new thermal night vision system for commander and gunner, allowing precise target obsrvation and acquisition at night or in bad weather and increased first-round hit probability. Due to monetary restraints, the thermal night vision system was mounted on only 75 vehicles, with the rest receiving image intensification devices. The old coincidence rangefinder was retained to be used as a back-up in the case of laser faliure. Unfortunately, main gun stabilisation was not provided. A new APFSDS projectile was selected to replace the obsolete French HEAT round as the main anti-tank weapon. An Spectronic fire detection and suppression system for enhacing crew survability was also installed. It can put a fire in the crew compartment out in less than 100 miliseconds. This vehicles received the AMX30EM2 designation. The new powerplant needed a new engine bay deck, and new rubber side skirts were installed on modificied vehicles to increase protection against HEAT shaped charges. The four smoke dischargers were replaced by eight Wegmann 76mm mortars, four each side of the turret. They are electrically fired, either as single rounds or in salvo. This mortars are also used on other Spanish Army vehicles.
It is planned to retrofit all the AMX30EM2 MBTs with SABBLIR reactive armour blocks. The ENSB started the development of this kind of armour in the late eighties and in 1989 the first armour blocks were succesfully evaluated. The Spanish Defense Ministry contracted two up-armoured AMX30E prototypes, requesting protection against HEAT charges from grenade launchers, anti-tank missiles and guns up to 106mm. The then called SBBR (Santa Bárbara Blindaje Reactivo) reactive armour was mounted in two retired AMX30E MBTs and definitive trials were performed at Costilla Proving Grounds, Cadiz. Trials validated the size and configuration of the new armour modules, giving a protection level even greater than expected. Later on, two operational AMX30EM2 MBTs were fitted with the full armour package and, on September 1993, handed over to the Calvary Academy at Valladolid for operational trials. The now called SABBLIR (Santa Bárbara BLIndaje Reactivo) armour package consist of a series of reactive armour modules wich may be fitted to any MBT. Each module has two or more layers of desensebiliced plastic explosive sadwiched between two matallic plates. The plates are attached to the vehicle by mean of rods previously welded to the standard turret and hull armour. The complete set can be installed in less than two hours, adding 2900Kg to the vehicle weight. The modules are of square or rectangular shape, with different size and thickness, depending on where they are placed. The emplacement for the different modules has been designed to guarantee the highest level of protection. Apart from being able to defeat almost any known HEAT round, trials have demonstrated its ability to stop AP shots up to 35mm. The up-armouring program was to start in 1995, but due to lack of funds, the program status is uncertain.
The Hughes Mk 9 A/D Computerised Fire Control System is specifically designed for the AMX30 MBT, based on that of the M1 Abrams MBT. Made under license in Spain by ENOSA, it includes crosswind, muzzle reference and gun position sensors. It is intended to give high first-round hit probability, day or night, against static and moving targets with the tank stopped, since ther is no gun stabilisation system.
Due to the CFE agreements, Spain has destroyed all the 89 unmodificied vehicles, as well as it`s complete fleet of 375 M47E1/E2. New equipment was received in the form of US Army surplus M60A1/A3TTS MBTs. Today the Spanish Army fields 210 AMX30 tanks, 60 ER and 150 EM2. Due to their light armour, they are mostly used by Calvary units, with Infantry in charge of 474 American MBTs: 164 M48A5E2s, 50 M60A1s, 260 M60A3 TTSs; and 108 German Leopard II A4s. For the future, AMX30s and M48-M60 are due for retirement between 2000-2010, with 300-400 license-built Leopard II A5s planned as new equipment.
7- The AMX30D ARV
In 1978 Spain adquired ten AMX30D ARVs, four of them being send to the Las Canteras Tank Plant to be fitted with the Spanish-standard armament and communications equipment in the form of MG3S MGs and AN/VRC64 radios. The other six were fitted at Army depots. Starting Februry 1979, every Company and Squadron equipped with AMX30E MBTs received one AMX30D ARV each.
The AMX30D is essentially an AMX30 MBT chassis with a large new fully enclosed crew compartment displaced to the left, keeping the MBT powerpack. It has a crew of four and equipment includes a 3`14 m front mounted blade,whose gear is armour-protected, an hydraulic crane which pivotes from the right at the front and able to trasverse throgh 240º, lifting a maximum weight of 12000 Kg. The main winch is placed on the centre of the hull and it can tow a maximum load of 35000 Kg. There is also an auxiliary winch with a maximum load of 3500 Kg. The rear decking is reinforced to carry a complete MBT replacement powerpack, both engine and transmission. It is armed with an MG3S MG (2000 rounds) on the commander TOP7 cupola, wich is equipped with ten M268 periscopes, an M270 prism head and a PH9A IR searchlight. Driver is front. For driving and observation with de hatch closed there are two fixed M268 periscopes and an OB31A Light Intensification scope.
8- The AMX30/Roland- AMX30R
Roland missile turret is mounted in centre of roof on a much modificated AMX30 MBT chassis with a new, all-welded, steel superstructure for a crew of three. Automotive characteristics are similar to those of the basic MBT. Two Roland missiles are carried in ready-to-launch position with further eight missiles, four for each launcher arm, carried internally for automatic reloading. Roland 2 all-weather missile is able to engage targets flying as fast as Mach 1’3 up to a maximun altitude of about 3000m and has a maximun range of some 6500m. Usually it is radar-controlled, with optical back-up. Roland 1 is similar to the later Roland 2, but it is a day-only system.
The AMX30/Roland entered Spanish Army service in 1988. Both Roland 1 and 2 were acquired, the total missile number being about 500. Budget restrictions allowed for only 18 firing units, wich were partially built in Spain. They are currently serving at Regimiento de Artilleria Antiaérea (RAAA) 71 at Madrid.
9- The AMX30I
Four AMX30I, intended for driving instruction, were adquired in 1975. The turret is replaced by an observation cabin. The instructor sits in the front seat inside the the cabin, with other seats provided for observing trainees.
The Autor wishes to thank Mr. Vicente Talón, director, DEFENSA review, for kindly allowing him reproduce the photographs wich ilustrates this article.
Nota: Este artículo fue publicado en la revista TRACKLINK nº 41 de septiembre de 1997, es por ello que está en inglés.