- Yes
- No
Welcome to another suggestion for a French SPAA. This time we’re looking at the AML S530
The AML S530 is a light SPAA solution based on the iconic 60s Panhard AML chassis. With over 4000 units of this vehicle being built, some experimentation and unique variants were always to be expected, and one of those is the AML S530. As the name implies, it is a AML that is fitted with the SAMM S530 turret. It is a simple and cheap anti-air solution designed for the export market, but despite this, it only ever managed to attract a single export customer: Venezuela. The vehicle was only ever produced in very small quantities, 12 in total. Its lack of success on the export market might be related to its diminishing usefulness in the time it was brought out. The AML S530 was produced in the mid 70s, a time when the threats the vehicle was supposed to counter became more and more sophisticated and missile SPAA was proving to be a much more effective solution to them.
The chassis of the vehicle remains pretty much unchanged, as such it is still very lightly armoured and powered by the 90 hp Panhard model 4HD engine. The turret, as mentioned before, is the SAMM S530. This is an all-welded armoured steel turret. The armament consists of 2 GIAT industries M621 20mm autocannons. Each of these cannons has 300 rounds, and can fire at a rate of up to 740 rounds/minute. The turret itself can of course traverse the full 360 degrees, and it can do this at 80 degrees/second. The gun elevation limits range from -10 to 75 degrees with an elevation speed of 40 degrees/second. Multiple ammo types are supported, both domestic French ones and US ones. Among these are HE-tracer, AP, HE, Incendiary, … The turret is crewed by 2, a gunner and commander. A third crew member sits in the hull as driver.
General Characteristics
- Height: 2.24 m
- Length: 3.90 m
- Width: 1.97 m
- Crew: 3, driver, gunner, commander
- Engine: Panhard Model 4HD, providing 90 hp at 4700rpm
- Weight: 5500 kg
- Max-speed forward: 90 km/h
- Max-speed reverse: 5.5 km/h
- Power-to-weight: 16.37 hp/t
- Armor hull: 8 mm
- Armor turret: 7-14mm
Armament
- Main armament: 2x GIAT industries M621 20mm autocannon
- Rate-of-fire: 740 rounds/minute/barrel
- Ammunition: HE-T, HE, AP-T, Incendiary
In-game
The AML S530 has the potential to be an important vehicle in the French SPAA line. As we all know, that line currently is more gap than vehicle and needs a significant amount of love to be filled out. The AML S530 with its good mobility and rate-of-fire would be an excellent addition to flesh out the mid ranks of this line. It would not only directly support the lineups in this range, but (by lack of other options) would also likely be used in lineups of up to 8.0. Let’s hope the latter scenario won’t have to happen thanks to other additions in the line, but I would certainly prefer to take the S530 over the DCA40. All-in-all it should be a fun and capable SPAA vehicle for the French tree, and like all French SPAA vehicles, I’m sure the community would be more than happy to see it come to the game.
