Cours d'hiver

To be perfectly honest, until I saw the AMX-10RCR in Armored Warfare, I didn't even know it really existed. Looking back over the years, I recognized the vehicle from seeing it in pictures and some TV footage from news coverage of the first Gulf War (Operation: Desert Storm), but never paid close attention to it nor bothered to find out more about it.

Although there are better sources for content on the history of this vehicle all over the internet (and a few old, dusty books), here is my brief presentation AMX-10RC/RCR.

Originally designed as a wheeled, amphibious, light reconnaissance vehicle, the AMX-10RC (RC stands for Roues-Canon, or wheeled gun) began it's service with the first production vehicles delivered to the 2nd Regiment de Hussards, Armée de Terre, starting in 1981. Two years later, it would begin first combat operations in Chad, during the French intervention known as Operation Manta, beginning August 1983. During the Gulf War of 1991, 96 AMX-10RC's were deployed in Opération Daguet, the French codename for their participation and didn't suffer a single loss to enemy actions. Later, it would see operations in Kosovo and Afghanistan.

Starting in 2000, 256 vehicles would be upgraded to RCR (RCR stands for Roues-Canon Renové, or wheeled gun, renovated) designation and the first deliveries began in 2005.

Twenty-one AMX-10RCR's were put back into action during Operation Serval, the name for the French military action in Mali, beginning on January of 2013 and continued through Operation Barkhane, the follow up campaign starting in August 2014. By last account, 256 remain in service with France, 108 in Morocco (ordered new as early as 1978) and Qatar with 12 RC's (originally acquired in 1994 as French surplus). The AMX-10RCR is expected to be phased out by 2020-25, the fate of these vehicles beyond that point isn't fully known.

I bought the premium, tier VIII AMX-10RCR for Armored Warfare back this last December and have been slowly learning the Tank Destroyer playstyle. Speed and stealth is vastly different from the much slower and nearly impenetrable armor usage associated with Main Battle Tanks. However, I do keep trying, sometimes with surprising results....