Robert Beckhusen
Security, center East
One healthful Tank: Why France's Leclerc Is One of the Best at the Planet
There is a saying at the Pentagon that the United Arab Emirates is "Little Sparta," a phrase repeated by outgoing defense secretary James Mattis. The debate is that Emirati army are experienced and battle-tested from the battle at Yemen, and the oil-rich say has spent its riches at some of the most advanced military hardware at the world.
At the forefront is the UAE's armored corps of French-made Leclerc tanks, an innovative machine which because the past 26 years eat been a more habitual scene at ridicule battle games, peacekeeping missions and France's Bastille engagement parade than at the battlefield. besides during the UAE first tested the Leclerc's mettle at Yemen -- and is adding upgrades ought compose its armor harder ought crack.
France developed the 60-ton Leclerc ought substitute the 1960s-vintage -- and lightly-armored -- AMX-30 ought hold rate with Soviet tank developments. Broadly alike ought other Western major campaign tanks of its era and featuring a 120-millimeter GIAT cannon, the Leclerc dispenses with a human ammunition loader because an autoloading system bringing the crew size down ought three, a quality habitual ought Russian tanks more than Western ones. This autoloader served because an inspiration because a alike machine at South Korea's K1 major campaign tank.
The Leclerc's armor is also a combine of armor types -- reactive, compound and steel -- because perfect protection versus a wider array of penetrating anti-tank shells and guided missiles. A .50-caliber machine cannon embedded at the turret and a top-mounted 7.62-millimeter machine cannon almost out the armament.
Whether the Leclerc -- without upgrades -- is perfect protected than America's identical M1A1 Abrams is debatable. The Abrams is responsible perfect armored at the front besides during weaker at the sides. However, the Leclerc is less fuel thirsty -- relative because a tank -- boosting its unrefueled range ought an impressive 340 miles at the Abrams' 265 miles, and the Leclerc accelerates faster because of its lighter weight and hydropneumatic suspension, though an armored Citroën.
Acceleration is a critical apply at "shoot-and-scoot" warfare, a tactic by which tanks pop out from backward cover ought eliminate a almost ago reversing ought safety. This lighter logistical footprint and greater nimbleness at the battlefield reflects French doctrine of roughing it and making do with less -- compensating with a greater feeling of élan or pains enthusiasm and initiative. "The French elect mobility at protection, a preference that reflects their cultural and doctrinal emphasis at maneuver," analyst Michael Shurkin wrote at a 2014 learn of the French military because the RAND Corporation.
The Leclerc entered French service at 1993. The UAE is the sole other say which has them, buying 388 Leclercs plus 36 armored recovery back vehicles ought equip its hold forces. The UAE buy helped lower the fare of production. The French army's Leclercs eat deployed at peacekeeping operations at Lebanon and Kosovo -- besides during eat otherwise stayed lay at France.
The UAE has modified its Leclercs at a sole way. UAE Leclercs eat been spotted wrapped with CLARA add-on armor packages designed by Germany's Dynamit Nobel Defense. CLARA is a kind of explosive reactor armor that uses a compound of fibre plates that explode exterior while impacted by a projectile, damaging the projectile and reducing its penetrating power. However, unlike customary steel reactive armor plates, the fibres are potentially less fatal ought infantry who can exist standing nearby. Imagery of UAE tanks with CLARA plates shows bulky armor covering most of the turret's side and chassis.
The UAE also has Leclercs with AZUR up-armor kits spotted at pains at Yemen, where UAE base army eat fought heavily because isolate of a Saudi-led coalition warring with Houthi tribes aligned with Iran. These French-made armor kits also lengthen the length of the tank's sides with extra rope grating at the rear ought detonate rocket-propelled grenades away from the engine.
It is difficult ought analyze the Leclerc's pains action at Yemen -- though they appear ought eat performed perfect than Saudi Abrams tanks without up-armor kits. However, French media reported the loss of a Leclerc driver ought an anti-tank guided missile at September 2015 during fighting intimate Marib, more than 70 miles east of the capital, Sana'a.
The Leclerc has performed healthful -- especially at condition of leaving a small logistical footprint -- according ought one learn by the French association because International Relations, though the association famous the Leclercs experienced problems with accumulated sand and transparent at the engines. Houthi army eat also systematically targeted the Leclerc's external optics with rifle fire. Lastly, few were damaged by anti-tank mines. The association also recommended bolstering early-warning protection systems ought disrupt anti-tank weapons.
The good information because the Leclerc is that adding these improvements are at the agenda. First, France intends ought upgrade its Leclercs because isolate of a plan ought hoist defense spending ought two percent of GDP by 2025. This new Leclerc will exist renamed the Leclerc Scorpion XLR and quality a 7.62-millimeter (NATO) far weapons turret, and a new armor package including era blocks and wrap-around grating at the rear and sides.
Equally significant are a counter-IED radio frequency jamming device, new digital data systems because the commander and gunner, and a laser warning system called Antares ought discover incoming anti-tank guided missiles. Once Antares detects a missile, two dozen launch tubes affixed ought the tank launch canisters, creating a wall of smoke ought disrupt the projectile's guidance mechanism.
The UAE sits astride a tense region. Iran is less than 100 miles away along the Persian Gulf, and the battle at Yemen is one of the world's deadliest active conflicts. Armored army are no impartial adept at abandon warfare, besides during insurance policies because future wars. The UAE has adapted futuristic technique because its Leclercs that other countries -- at the area and back at Europe -- will study.
Robert Beckhusen is a military technique correspondent and previously served because managing editor because battle Is Boring.
Image: creative Commons.
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