AMX-10 RC to be delivered to Ukraine within 2 months: French MoD
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Ukraine is expecting an unspecified number of French-made AMX-10 RC within two months.
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French-made AMX-10 RC light tanks (AFP)
French-made AMX-10 RC tanks should be delivered to Ukraine within two months, the French Defense Ministery said on Friday.
During phone talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier in January, French President Emmanuel Macron said Paris will send Kiev an unspecified number of AMX-10 RC armored fighting vehicles.
"The [French and Ukrainian defense] ministers have agreed that the delivery of ... AMX-10 RC tanks ... will be within 2 months," the ministry said in a statement.
Earlier this month, according to a French official, Paris announced that it will be providing Kiev with AMX-10 RC armored fighting vehicles.
The French decision came after a call held between the presidents of the countries. "This is the first time that Western-made armored vehicles are being delivered in support of the Ukrainian army," the official said.
The French AMX-10 RC is an armored fighting vehicle produced by GIAT for reconnaissance operations and can hold four individuals.
In a tweet, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked French President Emmanuel Macron "for the decision to transfer light tanks and Bastion APCs to Ukraine."
On December 20 of 2022, French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that France had delivered rocket launchers and weapons to Ukraine and would send more in early 2023.
It is noteworthy that since the start of the Ukraine war until December, France has supplied Ukraine with 18 Caesar units, and a 155-mm howitzer mounted on a six-wheeled truck chassis, capable of firing shells at ranges of more than 40 kilometers (25 miles).
Paris has also delivered anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles as well as armored personnel carriers.
In mid-October, France and Ukraine signed an agreement covering security and defense grants. The deal is meant to assist Ukraine's forces in boosting its military capabilities against Russia and set an initial aid amount of €100 million.
In the same context, French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said Macron has agreed to train up to 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers in the country, adding that France had already delivered 18 Caesar Howitzers to Ukraine and that talks were underway to send six more.
