In the late 1960s, the French military decided to get a heavy combat reconnaissance vehicle that could be successfully used in a combat situation, even if it encountered enemy tanks. In fact, it was a full-fledged wheeled tank with appropriate weapons. Of course, by that time, the Panhard EBR cannon armored vehicles were still in service with the French army, but by the 60s of the last century, these combat vehicles could already be attributed to obsolete.
The famous French company Panhard, which has a rich history, took on the development of a new "wheeled tank". The company was founded in France at the end of the 19th century - in 1886. Panar became one of the first companies in the world to manufacture cars for sale. At the same time, the Panhard company became famous not so much for its civilian products as for its combat vehicles, which were created for the needs of the French army. The company, which exists to this day, today specializes exclusively in the production of light tactical and military vehicles, producing equipment for the military and police.
Throughout its history, the Panar company has created a huge number of reconnaissance armored vehicles that have left a serious imprint on history and have been used by several generations of crews. The company has worked as a supplier of armored vehicles for the French army since the First World War. One of the most successful armored vehicles of the company during the Second World War is the Panhard 178 / AMD 35 armored vehicle. Successful post-war developments include the Panhard EBR family of cannon armored vehicles, which could be armed with 75-mm and 90-mm cannons. In addition, the company supplied the French army with wheeled armored personnel carriers, communications vehicles, reconnaissance armored vehicles and multifunctional vehicles, which were used in many theaters of war, including during the colonial wars waged by France in the second half of the 20th century.
Panhard M8, Photo: strangernn.livejournal.com
It is not surprising that it was the Panard company in the late 1960s that was one of the first to respond to the call of the French military - to create a new wheeled armored vehicle with powerful cannon armament, capable, if necessary, of effectively fighting enemy tanks. Already in 1970, Panhard engineers created a "wheeled tank", designated Panhard M8, in the same year it was presented to the French military, and in 1971 the international premiere of the novelty took place. The new heavy armored car was shown at the exhibition, which is known today as Eurosatory.
In terms of its chassis, the new combat vehicle was unified with the M2 armored personnel carrier. However, the armament was significantly strengthened. A 105-mm cannon with a rather impressive muzzle brake was installed in a rather large flattened turret, the capabilities of this gun were sufficient to fight most of the tanks of those years (in terms of its ballistic characteristics, this gun was absolutely typical for all western main battle tanks of that time. period).
The main feature of the new "wheeled tank" was to be the chassis, it was a unique running gear with controlled hydropneumatic suspension. True, unlike the Panhard EBR armored car, which was also eight-wheeled, it had its own characteristics. For the Panhard EBR cannon armored car, only the outermost pairs of wheels were used for driving on paved roads. The front and rear pairs of wheels were equipped with conventional tires with pneumatic tubes, but the two middle pairs of wheels were metal and had developed lugs. When driving on the highway, the car relied only on the wheels of the outer axles, while the aluminum wheels of the inner axles fell only when moving off-road. This solution increased the maneuverability of the armored car and reduced the specific ground pressure.
Panhard M8, Photo: strangernn.livejournal.com
In turn, Panhard M8 could move normally on all 8 wheels on any terrain, including on roads. In turn, the wheels of the middle axles, if necessary, on the contrary, did not rise as on the Panhard EBR, but went down, raising the front and rear pairs of wheels above the ground. This design solution had its own advantages. Raising the armored car on the wheels of the inner axles increased the capabilities of the "wheeled tank" to overcome various vertical obstacles, achieved a better exit of the combat vehicle from the water (and it was floating), and also had the opportunity to turn around practically on the spot ("like a tank").
The total combat weight of the vehicle was 12.8 tons, of which the turret with armament accounted for exactly 4 tons. The Panhard M8 was powered by a Hispano-Suiza HS115 8-cylinder diesel engine with 250 hp. This engine could be found on various models of French armored vehicles, including the tracked BMP AMX-10P. This engine provided the Panhard M8 "wheeled tank" with a maximum speed of 75 km / h when driving on the highway, on the water the combat vehicle could reach speeds of up to 8 km / h. The cruising range on the highway was up to 1000 km.
For some reason, the French military abandoned this armored vehicle. Perhaps they were scared off by the complex chassis, or perhaps it simply lost to its direct competitors. One way or another, the French did not abandon the idea of creating a heavy wheeled armored car with strong cannon armament. Already in 1976, a heavy wheeled armored vehicle AMX-10RC, which is often also classified as a wheeled tank, was launched into mass production in France. Serial production of these armored vehicles with a 6x6 wheel arrangement, armed with a powerful rifled 105-mm F2 cannon, was carried out until 1994. The combat vehicle managed to take part in the Gulf War, as well as in a number of peacekeeping operations, it is still in service with the French army, and the era of wheeled tanks itself is far from over.
Panhard M8, Photo: strangernn.livejournal.com
