Serge

During the late 70’s, an attempt was made to use the AMX-10P as a light recce tank, the AMX-10C :

 

 
A wheeled chassis was preferred as the successor of the EBRC. This is the AMX-10RC.

An APC/IFV version was available : the AMX-10RTT wich never found any customers. 

 
An interesting concept was the Mars-15 family :

 

It was introduced in 1987 as a successor of the AMX-13 for export market by Creusot-Loire Industrie (It was specifically designed to be produced by the customer’s industry.).
In 1990, when CLI was purchased by GIAT Industries, it was killed. The latter considered it wasn’t possible to promote simultaneously a light tracked AFV family for export market, and the idea that wheeled AFV can performed as tracked one for the French Army.
We have to remind it was forbidden by the 90’s, to talk about any tracked solution to succeed to the old AMX-10PH (even if the purchase of CV90 was considered in case of Leclerc MBT victory in the Swedish market.).

One very specific point (and little known) of the French AFV industry is the trend to develop simultaneously both a hight volume chassis and a low profile chassis each using the same running gear. Let’s see a few cases.
 
With the EBMR program in progress, there are the Griffon VBMR and the Jaguar EBRC (right) :

 
During the 60’s, the Panhard M3 (first) and Panhard AML :

 

 
Later, came both the VCR (first) and the ERC :

 

 
The famous VAB was available as a fire support vehicle, the VBC-90 :

 

 

Addition to photo Leo 1 with 120mm L44 gun
 

Krupp Raumer-S ?

Hi @Marsh, you definitely right. AFB ammo are larger. 
Training round ?
Carpet can fire 6 different rounds (Is it still classified ? I’m doomed.).
 
what is the color for Israeli training round ? Orange ?

Carpet.
mine breacher. 

Okay, this is a obscure one. Well done. TARDEC AReS - "Advanced Reconfigurable Spaceframe", modular electric hybrid IFV testbed - built 2008. Head to tear through tons of various documents as I don't have the book you got that from. (The TARDEC Story)

A couple pictures posted in Otvaga forum by @Wiedzmin:
 
Shaping of the armor plates on the UFP is diagonal. Would like to receive an explanation on why it could be beneficial:
 
Just a couple pics of the Merkava 4's UFP:
 
In a factory:
 
Namer UFP:
 
And a damaged Namer:
 

Video from 1981 about the Merkava.
Talik says it's the cheapest tank in the world, and is quite confident about its export capabilities (which eventually, for political reasons concluded in export of systems but not a complete tank), and its capabilities against the T-72 the Syrians were buying at the time.
 
 

Well, modern tanks are more accurate. At common combat ranges - at least those common in Central Europe (where over 50% of all combat is expected to take place at 1,500 m range or less) - it will make a rather small difference wether only the turret or the complete vehicle is visible.

Leopard 2 KWS prototype (AFAIK one of the two TVM tanks, but could also be the IVT) being refurbished and repainted before going into a museum. It will probably go to the Panzermuseum Munster (or maybe is already there?), which has requested a replacement for the old Leopard 2A4 (because children and young adults would be used to the wedge-shaped turret armor of the Leopard 2).
 




Note the layered hatch construction: NERA spaced over the normal steel hatch
 

 
Photos via the otvaga forum.

From what I can tell it doesn't have the folding mechanism or the 'popped collar' that blocked view from the commanders cupola.
 

 

Just go to my album; https://imgur.com/gallery/rEdpy
 

 

It's a very different design to the suspension on challenger:

 
It looks like they're integrated the cylinder with the swingarm, which is a clever thing to do.

Expect to see an Abrams hull with hydro-pneumatic suspension at AUSA today:
 
https://imgur.com/gallery/rEdpy

More simply : every battle day life. 
You can work efficiently during a short period of time with a tinny crew, but you work better over long period with a 4 men crew.
 
In France, we are lucky because of our specific troop organization. But, it’s simply crazy to think it’s possible to work with a 2 men crew tank, whatever the technology considered. I can’t imagine a 8 or 6 men troop (cost effective BTW).
If doctrine makers are only considering borders patrol duty, it’s ok. But, this is not the real life. 

A pair of interesting photographs posted by Damian from @Walter_Sobchak's blog, not (just) because they show an Abrams testing hydropneumatic suspension but because they appear to show the glacis is thicker than it is around the driver's hatch.
 

The art of teasing. 

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/a42b8bf8#/a42b8bf8/34

Article on the Queen's Royal Hussars participation at Tank Challenge.
Claims they placed 4th. Which was also posted on their Facebook page shortly after the competition finished.
Won CASEVAC serial. Podium'd others including defensive live firing, pistol shoot and obstacle course.
Struggled in others because of weight and agility.

Has a tank comparison page. Usual "rifled gun more accurate", "3-piece quicker", "moar armour" but then says the CR2's fire control computer was better at hitting moving targets than the Leopard 2's. wat?
 

@Marsh
Re-uploaded:

The art of teasing. 

Marc was busy at EuroSatory. 😩

A female tank crew has just finished the pilot program and demonstrated the women are indeed capable of manning tanks. Of course, they are not the first as there are countries where tank operation is already open to females.
Still, congrats to them. 
And to remind you guys of the aspect they probably don't want to talk about; They're there just to replace men in border patrol roles while the combat brigades are doing the fighting.
Overall they seem to be doing a good job. Uniform's kinda saggy on them, and the loading is kinda wompy, but otherwise all's good.
 
By the way, I've noticed there's some smoke coming inside the turret, and a dangerous looking bunch of sparks. I'm pretty sure this is not normal. Anyone with some insights care to comment on that?