L'AML Panhard

Following the Second World War, the French army was embroiled in decolonisation conflicts, which led to new requirements for armoured vehicles. At the same time, alongside this operational necessity, there was a desire to revive a national defence industry that was as independent as possible from the United States. Whilst fully embodying this dual objective, the AML Panhard combined firepower, operational flexibility and ease of maintenance with comparatively low acquisition and running costs, enabling it to achieve a level of versatility never before equalled by a vehicle in this category. Its exceptional qualities made it not only one of the workhorses of the French light armoured cavalry (CLB) from the 1960s to the 1980s, but also an extraordinary export success across every continent on the planet.

Whilst seeking to explain the origins of such versatility, this book provides an understanding of the AML through a detailed and richly illustrated study of its two main variants: the AML 60 and the AML 90.

The author
After forty years of service as an officer in the Armoured Cavalry Corps, Thomas SEIGNON had the opportunity to serve on numerous Army armoured vehicles between 1983 and 2021. Amongst other responsibilities, he served as an AML platoon commander from 1984 to 1986, which enabled him to assess, in operational conditions, the high level of versatility of this small vehicle, whilst remaining mindful of its ergonomic limitations.

Throughout his career, his expertise in armoured vehicles has also been utilised not only at the Armoured Cavalry Corps Training School, but also within the Army’s Technical Section, the Joint Centre for Concepts, Doctrines and Experimentation, and the management of the DGA’s international division. Furthermore, he has long been involved in supporting the Saumur Museum of Armoured Vehicles and Cavalry and, more recently, has served on the board of trustees of the Endowment Fund for the Conservatoire du Patrimoine automobile et militaire (Conservatory of Automotive and Military Heritage) run by the company Arquus.