- Yes.
- No.
With the upcoming addition of Vextra 105 light tank to the french tech-tree, i decided to suggest another light tank which could be used as a connection between the standard AMX-10RC and Vextra 105.
Introducing… AMX-10RC TML-105 (Early)!
HISTORY.
The TML family of modular turrets was a private venture by GIAT Industries to use on the chassis of tracked or wheeled vehicles with the weight of 11+ tonnes or as a retrofit modification package. You can find the Early TML-105 turret installed on various chassis; german Krauss-Maffei Puma, french AMX-10RC (6x6), MARS-15 light tanks, and even on the Swiss Piranha 10x10 chassis! The turret was modular, which meant that it could be customized according to the customer’s requirements. The following upgrades could be mounted optionally:
-A stabilised sighting.
-Ammunition conveyor belt and loading aid.
-Auxiliary roof armament and grenade launcher.
-Infra-red decoy flares.
The turret never went into mass-production however; neither the early or late versions of it did.
ARMAMENT.
The main advantage of the AMX-10RC TML-105 is it’s new cannon; CN-105-G2. This cannon can fire a wide variety of standard NATO shells (ones used on Leopard 1, M60, and AMX-30), aswell as french ones! However, we’ll focus mostly on french ammunition, which it has a wide variety of!
OFL 105 G2 - APFSDS
APFSDS round with a tungsten core. Has ~465mm of penetration at 0m and at a 0° angle.
OFL 105 F2 - APFSDS
A version of OFL 105 G2 which uses a depleted uranium core. Has a slightly higher penetration of ~488mm at 0m distance and 0° angle.
OE 105 F1 (Mle.60) - HE
A standard HE round with an explosive mass of 2KG and a penetration of 25mm.
OCC 105 F1 - HEAT
A standard HEAT round with 400mm pen at any distance and at 0° angle.
OFPH 105 F1 - Smoke.
A standard smoke shell.
ARMOR.
The armor hasn’t changed much from it’s predecessor; the only difference is the turret, which can withstand fire from 14.5mm (and lower) caliber machineguns. The hull armor for it is the same as AMX-10RC, meaning most cannons will penetrate it with ease; even 12.7mm machineguns can go through your hull armor in certain spots. The survivability hasn’t changed much either; you’ll get killed in one or two shots of any cannon.
MOBILITY.
The mobility of the vehicle is pretty much the same, although the vehicle did get a little heavier, weighing 17.7t instead of the usual 16t, which might hinder it’s mobility by a bit. The vehicle retains it’s hydro-pneumatic suspension from the standard AMX-10RC. Your great top speed of 85km/h in forward and reverse, and a great horsepower of 280 allows you to flank the enemies quickly! The hydro-pneumatic suspension can be used to get a few extra degrees of gun depression/elevation.
FIRE-CONTROL SYSTEM.
AMX-10RC TML-105 uses a SOPTAC 11 Fire-control system, which provides the gunner with the ability to fight during day and night alike, and replaces the image intensifier with thermal imaging. It also includes a laser rangefinder, which grants AMX-10RC TML-105 the ability to engage the enemy at long distances. However; this version of the TML 105 turret does not include a stabilizer, meaning you can’t engage the enemy while on the move. The gunner also has access to an 8x magnification sight with a FoV of 7°. The commander gets a TJN2-71 panoramic sight provided with NVD! It also has a magnification of 6,8x and the ability to look down -15° and up +55°! The TML turret also has access to 14x smoke grenades, 6 in the back and 8 in the front.
CONCLUSION.
In conclusion, the AMX-10RC TML-105 can be utilized as a great sniper/flanker, thanks to it’s great mobility, firepower, and FCS! Do not rely on your armor what-so-ever, as it won’t withstand even a single shot from a 105mm cannon. It could also carve the path to the Vextra 105.
THANKS TO:
@LeGrandSarrazin for helping me with the suggestion.
@Bossman919 for penetration values of OFL 105 G2/F2.
Pictures and sources.
