ELC project

The ELC project was a prototype Tank Destroyer project launched by the French Ministry of Defense in 1955. The purpose of the ELC (Engin Léger de Combat en:Light combat vehicle) project was to develop a lightly armoured, heavily armed fighting vehicle capable of being transported by airlift for rapid deployment.[3]

AMX ELC Bis
ELC Bis in the Musée des Blindés
Type	Light Tank
Place of origin	France
Production history
Manufacturer	GIAT
No. built	10[1]
Specifications ([2])
Mass	6.7 mt
Length	4.97 m
Width	2.24 m
Height	1.58 m
Crew	2
Main armament	1 X 90mm D915 cannon with 36 shells
Engine	250 hp
Power/weight	37.31 hp/t
Maximum speed	80 km/h

ELC AMX

Prototypes of the AMX ELC were manufactured by GIAT Industries under the AMX (Ateliers de construction d'Issy-les-Moulineaux) designation, however the vehicle was not mass-produced and did not formally enter military service.[4]

The vehicle weighed 6 tons, with the driver and gunner located on either side of the 90mm D. 915 gun mounted on the turret. Since in addition to being very light, the tank was also very short (half a meter shorter than the AMX-13), the driver used a reclined position and the gunner had to have his body halfway inside the hull, making turret traverse limited: the turret could be traversed through 360 degrees when immobile, with a far more modest traverse arc, comparable to that of an assault gun, being available when in motion. The AMX ELC had a SOFAM 8 Gxb engine. Several models of the turret (AMX ELC bis) were tested on chassis manufactured from plans created by Hotchkiss.[5] The vehicle's drive suspension featured four roadwheels and two top rollers on each side.[6] A new chassis began development in 1957, and was completed in 1961 under the designation of the ELC bis; this newer prototype had five roadwheels per side. The prototype is preserved at the Museum of Armour in Saumur.[5]

ELC EVEN

The ELC EVEN was a series of light tanks created in competition with AMX's proposals.[7] These prototypes featured an oscillating turret with a cupola for the gunner located along the turret centerline. The turret itself was offset to the left in order to make room for a driver's compartment in the hull.

ELC EVEN 30

The ELC EVEN 30 was armed with twin 30mm Hispano-Suiza autocannons with fluted barrels mounted on either side of the turret, with two machine guns mounted slightly inboard of these weapons.

ELC EVEN 90

The ELC EVEN 90 featured a turret very similar to that of the ELC EVEN 30, but replaced both 30mm guns and the right-side machinegun with a single low-pressure 90mm Mecar gun on the right side of the turret.

ELC EVEN 120

The ELC EVEN 120 featured four recoilless rifles arranged in horizontal pairs on either side of the turret. These weapons were to be reloaded by the driver either by rotating the turret so that the driver could open his hatch and insert new projectiles without leaving his seat, or by having the driver climb out and reload the weapons from a standing position next to the tank. It was also suggested that the rear ends of the 120mm weapons' barrels be cut so that the rear sections could be rotated into the turret, allowing the gunner to reload the weapons without opening his hatch.

Another version of the tank featuring two 120mm weapons, each with a five-round revolver-type autoloader, was suggested but not constructed.

ELC EVEN 30 prototype at Museé des Blindés

ELC EVEN - Nord-AVIATION Missiles

The 90mm version of the ELC EVEN, also located at Museé des Blindés.

A vehicle armed with either four SS-11 ATGMs or two SS-12 SSMs mounted on arms on either side of a purpose-built welded plate turret, with an armored glass observation window on its front. A prototype featuring a combination of these weapons (two SS-11 on the right side of the turret and one SS-12 on the left) was built.

References

1. "ELC:SERIES OF LIGHT TANKS". Archived from the original on June 10, 2014. Retrieved 2014-09-27.
2. "1955 ELC AMX" (in French). Chars Francais. Archived from the original on 2014-11-09. Retrieved 2014-09-27.
3. Les ingénieurs militaires et l'émergence d'une nouvelle industrie française de l'armement: 1945-1960: actes de la journée d'études organisée le 20 mai 1999 par le Comité pour l'histoire de l'armement à l'École militaire, Paris.
4. ELC AMX - пара прототипов одного танка, Оружейная коллекция
5. 1955 ELC AMX Archived 2014-11-09 at the Wayback Machine, Chars Francais
6. ELC-AMX
7. MISNER, Antoine. "1955 ELC EVEN". Chars Français (in French). Retrieved 2017-11-21.