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WARNING: PICTURE HEAVY!

The 90 mm-turreted armored fighting vehicle is a 6-wheel drive vehicle which uses most of the mechanical components from the VAB. It is equipped with the GIAT TS 90 turret armed with a new high-performance gun firing an anti-tank round with a high muzzle velocity.

Its high strategic and tactical mobility, its great autonomy, its discretion, its great ergonomics make it a particularly suitable vehicle to fulfill long-distance reconnaissance missions. Its powerful gun fires a hollow charge round with a muzzle velocity of 1000 m/s, making it suitable for anti-tank combat in all forms. It also features a N.B.C. protection.

The VBC 90 equips the Armored Group of the Gendarmerie Mobile in Satory.

Manufacturer: RENAULT VEHICULES INDUSTRIELS

Technical information from the manufacturer’s manual listed below:

Production: 32 vehicles

DIMENSIONS:

Length: 5.63m; Width: 2.50 m; Height (with open hatches): 2.92 m

Weight in combat-ready condition: 13.75 tonnes

MAIN ARMAMENT (GIAT)

90 mm rifled barrel gun with high muzzle velocity
Fires anti-tank and anti-personnel rounds
35 ° oblique breech edge
Semi-automatic operation
Hydro-pneumatic elastic link
Manual loading
Anti-arcuate sleeve
Muzzle brake
Electric firing – Manual rescue firing

Aiming: horizontal: manual with electrical assistance, 360° in 20 s / vertical: manual, -8 ° to + 15 ° in 15 s

Accuracy: H+W: 1.7 thousandths.

Note: COCKERILL 90 mm weapon system can be adapted

SECONDARY ARMAMENT

1 AA 7.62 mm NF 1 coaxial machine gun.

Firing: electrical or manual for the gunner, direct action from the trigger for the tank commander

1000 7.62 mm cartridges wrapped in standard boxes of 200 cartridges, inside the turret
4 smoke dischargers on the turret
4 D. R. E. B. stored in the rear slot

OPTIONS

Replacement of the coaxial AA 7.62 mm NF 1 by 7.62 mm MG3 machine gun or 7.62 mm FN MAG machine gun
Replacement of the coaxial AA 7.62 mm NF1 with a 12.7 mm Browning machine gun.
Super elevation for the 7.62 mm coaxial armament, from -8° to + 30°
Assembly on the turret roof of a rotating 7.62 mm or 12.7 mm machine gun
2 additional smoke dischargers (for a total of 6)

FIRE CONTROL SYSTEMS

The fire control systems which can be adapted to the VBC 90 are as follows:

DAY FIRE

M 563 riflescope (GIAT) Magnification: 5.9 x Field: 190 thousandths

M 563 firing scope

SOPTAC 21 (SOPELEM): constituted by adaptation of a CI LAS TCV 107 laser rangefinder, providing the distance from the target. Manual reporting of this distance by the gunner.

SOPTAC 6 (SOPELEM): constituted by adaptation of a CI LAS TCV 107 laser rangefinder providing the distance to the target. The calculator automatically displays the increase in the reticle of the scope.

SOPTAC 13 (SOPELEM): constituted by adaptation of a CI LAS TCV 107 laser rangefinder providing the distance to the objective. The calculator automatically displays the increase in the reticle of the scope and provides the bearing tachymetry (target’s speed of movement) for shooting on mobile target.

DAY AND NIGHT FIRE

TJN2 90 rifle scope (SOPELEM) – Passive mixed rifle scope

day channel: 6 x magnification – 8° view

night channel: 5.5 x magnification – 8 ° view, range from 2000 m to 800 m (level 3 night: 10-3 lux)

Fire lines for TJN2 90 scope

SOPTAC 22 (SOPELEM): incorporated by adaptation of a CI LAS TCV 107 laser rangefinder providing the distance to the target. Manual reporting of this distance by the shooter.

SOPTAC 10 (SOPELEM): constituted by adaptation of a CI LAS TCV 107 laser rangefinder providing the distance from the target. The calculator displays the distance to the tank commander with automatic report of the increase in the reticle of the scope.

SOPTAC 11 (SOPELEM): constituted by adaptation of a CI LAS TCV 107 laser rangefinder providing the distance from the target. Calculator displays the distance to the tank commander with automatic report of the increase in the reticle of the scope, and provides the tachymeter bearing (target’s speed of movement) for shooting on mobile target.

CANASTA day and night fire control (THOMSON) constituted by adaptation of a passive TMV 562 night TV camera, a control box and one or two TMV 563 TV monitors. This system makes it possible to detect the target between 1000 and 2000 m, depending on the level of illumination at night, identify the objective, display the necessary shooting corrections by means of a mobile electronic reticle according to the shooting distance and the ammunition used, then point and fire with the shooting corrections.

Day and night fire control M 586 (GIAT) uses components of the COTAC anti-tank fire control. Constituted by a CI LAS TCV 107 laser rangefinder and by a computer integrating various data necessary for shooting on idle or mobile target: turret tilt, wind speed, outside temperature, speed and distance from the target.

HULL

Self-supporting, made with high resistance armor

driver’s position at the front left
turret in the middle
powertrain and fuel tank at the rear
access to the driver’s position through an upper hatch
vision provided to the driver by a set of 3 episcopes located on the hatch

Option: mean of night vision medium (I.L).

The chassis also houses:

27 90 mm rounds
1000 7.62 mm cartridges
N.B.C. protection system
individual packages and standard onboard equipment

TURRET (G.I.A.T.) Welded elements? High resistance armored steel

Waterproof and features N.B.C. protection

Gun mantlet carrying:

the 90 mm gun
the 7.62 mm co-axial machine gun
the scope

Operated by two crew members:

tank commander to the left
gunner to the right

Hatches:

1 for the tank commander
1 for the gunner

Vision ports

tank commander: set of 7 episcopes ensuring a panoramic observation capacity
gunner: 5 episcopes ensuring an observation capacity over 235°
Option: 1 L CN2 6257 episcope for the tank commander, allows observation at 80 m during level 3 night (10-31ux), allows assistance to the pilot in night driving

The turret is also equipped with:

1 PH9A front projector: 120 W, range 600 m
1 roof spotlight: 80 W, range 400 m
1 gas extraction fan
1 opening to dispose of empty shells

Ammunition (in addition to those in the hull)

20 rounds: 12 anti-tank, 8 explosives

spread as follows: 4 in the turret basket, 16 in the rear slot

total weight: 2.6 tonnes in combat condition

RADIO EQUIPMENT

2 short and medium range FM radios
intercom

PERFORMANCES

Maximum road speed: 92 km/h

Minimum speed: less than 3 km/h

Ramp crossing: 60%

Tilt: 30%

Road range greater than 1000 km

Speed on water: 2 m/s

ENGINE: 235 HP SAE 6-cylinder diesel engine rated at 2200 rpm. Maximum torque: 80 da.Nm SAE at 1600 rpm.

B.V. “TRANSFLUIDE” Saviem Hydrokinetic torque converter 2/1 with possibility of lock-up. 5 synchronized forward gears. 1 reverse gear.

MOVEMENT DESCENT: Power transmission by silent chain.

FINAL DRIVE: Double reduction with spiroconic couple. Differential lock by pneumatic controls. Interconnection by pneumatic controls.

REDUCER IN WHEELS

SUSPENSION: Independent wheels – Torsion bars. Telescopic shock absorbers. Progressive shock stop.

STEERING: Hydraulic assistance.

BRAKING Disc brake with pneumatic control and hydraulic dual circuit transmission. Parking brake on transmission.

TIRES 1400 x 20 fitted with sagging device.

ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT: 24 V DC – Capacity 190 A/h, Option: N.B.C. protection, self-hauling winch (5-7 tonnes).

Total weight in combat condition: 12.8 tonnes.

The VBC 90 can be made amphibious by adding a lifting skirt.

Gallery:

Type of shell	Weight (kg)	Shell velocity (m/s)	Combat range (m)	Maximum range (m)	Efficiency/notes
Subcaliber round		1.300	1.500		Penetrates a NATO target at 2,000 m distance
Hollow charge round	8.950	1.000	1.000	3.000	Penetrates 320 mm of armor at any range
Training anti-tank round	8.950	100		3.000	Same ballistic as the hollow charge round
Explosive round	10.420	750	800	4.000	Effective anti-personnel range: 40 m
Training explosive round	10.420	750		4.000	Same ballistics as the explosive round
Canister shot	10.420	750	200		6° cone filled with 8 mm balls
Smoke round	10.540	750	800	4.000	Weight of phosphorus: 0.8 kg – 50 m wide smoke screen for 20 to 30 seconds

Translated from http://www.chars-francais.net/2015/index.php/engins-blindes/blindes-a-roues?task=view&id=727

Original source: manufacturer’s manual of the vehicle