Coutelas (🇫🇷 France, TD-8)
Historical Reference:
Work on the Coutelas tank destroyer project was initiated by the Hotchkiss company around the mid-1950s. The vehicle was designed to meet specific customer requirements: a combat weight lower than that of increasingly heavy medium-class vehicles, an increase in horizontal gun traverse angles to 60 degrees, the installation of a stereoscopic rangefinder, and the presence of an anti-aircraft turret. The vehicle also needed a large ammunition load and strong frontal armor protection. As a result, the Coutelas TD was intended to be equipped with a turret featuring a limited horizontal traverse sector instead of a fixed casemate. It was also planned to store part of the ammunition in the turret and the other part in a mechanized rack above the engine compartment. A commander’s cupola with a built-in rangefinder was also envisioned. However, the work by Hotchkiss engineers did not progress beyond the conceptual design stage due to a decline in interest from potential customers.
