AMX-10 RAA - French ZA-35

Sebbo_the_Plebbo · February 26, 2025, 1:41pm

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AMX-10 RAA Sabre

Introduction

During the 1980s, several European nations were actively developing Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Guns (SPAAGs) to counter low-level air threats like attack helicopters and fast jets. While short-range surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) were gaining prominence, gun-based systems remained a viable alternative due to their rapid response and cheaper operating costs. One of these projects was a collaboration between Royal Ordnance (RO) and Thomson-CSF, to build the Sabre SPAAG, to design and manufacture a system capable of converting existing MBTs and IFVs into turreted anti-aircraft platforms without major structural modifications.

The Sabre was armed with twin 30mm Hispano-Suiza cannons, offering a 3,000-meter effective range and a rate of fire between 1,300 and 1,700 rounds per minute. It featured a Thomson-CSF fire control system, incorporating a Doppler radar with a detection range of 7 to 15 km, automatic TV tracking, early digital fire control computing, and a laser rangefinder. The engagement cycle from detection to destruction took just six seconds, and the system included Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) capabilities. The turret’s design allowed it to be mounted on existing MBT chassis without modification, making it a flexible upgrade option.

Despite its promising performance, the Sabre SPAAG never entered production. Marketed and demonstrated in several nations, the system was fitted to a wide variety of platforms, including the British Chieftain, Austrian Saurer 4K, and French AMX-30. However, other SPAAG programs like the German Gepard and the British Marksman system garnered more attention and sales. With tough competition, and missile-based air defense becoming the preferred solution, interest in dedicated gun-based SPAAGs declined, leaving the Sabre as a prototype rather than an operational system.

The vehicle covered in this suggestion is the AMX-10 RAA (Roues Anti-Aérien - Wheeled Anti-Air), constructed in 1981, trialing the Sabre turret on a mobile, lightweight, wheeled platform. Depending on ammo availability (whether it gets a mixed APDS/SAPHEI belt), this could either be a ZA-35 equivalent at around 8.3, or a wheeled AMX-30 DCA (essentially an early IFV) at 8.7. Either way, it would be an powerful, interesting, and unique vehicle to add.

Specifications

Spoiler

Turret