Panhard ERC

{{Short description|French armored car}}  {{Infobox weapon | name = Panhard ERC | image = [[File:ERC-90 Sagaie 008 FR.JPG|300px|]] | caption = An ERC-90 Sagaie of the French Army during a parade | origin = France | service = 1980–present | wars = [[United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon|Peacekeeping missions in Lebanon]] [[Gulf War]] [[Chiapas conflict]]<ref>{{cite book|author-link=Yves Debay|first=Yves|last=Debay|title= VBL Panhard|publisher= Histoire et collections|year=2004|isbn=9782913903166|language=fr|page=98}}</ref> [[Bosnian war]] [[Kosovo war]] [[First Ivorian Civil War]] [[Chadian Civil War (2005–2010)]] [[Second Ivorian Civil War]] [[Operation Serval|Northern Mali]] [[Boko Haram insurgency]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mediaworldng.com/?p=3907 |title=Beard-wearing Boko Haram terrorists dress as women in attempt at avoid security officials |publisher=Media World News |access-date=11 March 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150312005958/http://mediaworldng.com/?p=3907 |archive-date=March 12, 2015 }}</ref> | design_date = 1975 | number = 411 | type = [[Armored car (military)|Armored Car]] | is_vehicle = yes | is_UK = yes | manufacturer = [[Panhard]] | length = {{convert|7.7|m|ft|abbr=on}} | width = {{convert|2.50|m|ft|abbr=on}} | height = {{convert|2.25|m|ft|abbr=on}} | weight = 8.3 tons | suspension = 6×6 coil springs with shock absorbers | speed = {{convert|90|km/h|abbr=on}} | vehicle_range = {{convert|730|km|mi|abbr=on}} | primary_armament = 90 mm CN90 cannon | secondary_armament = 2× [[AA-52|MAS]] machine guns | armour = 10 mm | engine = [[Peugeot]] V-6 Petrol engine | engine_power = 155 hp at 5,250 rpm | pw_ratio = 18.7 hp/tonne | crew = 3 }}

The [[Panhard]] '''ERC''' ('''''E'''ngin à '''R'''oues, '''C'''anon''; "Wheeled device, cannon") is a French six-wheeled [[armored car (military)|armoured car]] which is highly mobile and amphibious with an option of being [[CBRN|NBC]]-proof. Two versions of the ERC entered production in large numbers: the ''ERC-90 Lynx'' and the ''ERC-90 Sagaie''. The main difference between the two versions is the type of turret and 90 mm gun fitted. ''Sagaie'' is French for [[assegai]], a type of African [[spear]].

==Background== The ERC was originally a private venture by [[Panhard]] aimed at the export market. It was developed in the latter half of the 1970s as a heavier, six-wheeled successor to Panhard's highly successful [[Panhard AML|AML]] range of armoured vehicles.<ref name="Ayliffe-Jones">{{cite book| first = Noel| last = Ayliffe-Jones| title = World tanks and reconnaissance vehicles since 1945| year = 1984| edition = 1984| pages = [https://archive.org/details/worldtanksreconn0000ayli/page/83 83—85]| publisher = Hippocrene Books| isbn = 978-0-88254-978-1| url-access = registration| url = https://archive.org/details/worldtanksreconn0000ayli/page/83}}</ref>

===Design=== The ERC and VCR are a family of six wheel armoured reconnaissance vehicles. The ERC is the cannon-armed turret model. The [[Panhard VCR|VCR]] is the armoured personnel carrier version. ERC is the French abbreviation of term ''Engin à Roues, Canon'' or Gun-armed Wheeled Vehicle. The ERC shares many components of the VCR vehicles. Two main versions of the ERC were developed: first the ERC F1 90 ''Lynx'', then the ERC F4 90 ''Sagaie''. The ''Lynx'' appeared about 1977 and the ''Sagaie'' followed approximately two years later in 1979. The ''Lynx'' was developed primarily as an armoured reconnaissance vehicle. The ''Sagaie'' was also an armoured reconnaissance vehicle, with the added secondary role of tank-destroyer.<ref>Foss, Christopher. ''Jane's AFV Recognition Handbook''</ref><ref name="IDR"/>

In 1977, Panhard offered the ERC and VCR to the [[French Army]] as an armoured personnel carrier (APC) and gun-armed reconnaissance vehicle. The Army instead chose the [[VAB (armoured personnel carrier)|VAB four-wheeled armoured vehicle]] from [[Renault|Saviem]] for the larger APC contract, and the [[AMX 10 RC]] from [[Nexter|GIAT]] for the reconnaissance requirement. Panhard also offered the vehicles to France's [[Mobile Gendarmerie]], a much smaller order, but the Gendarmerie chose the Saviem [[VBC-90]]. Panhard later found success for both the VRC and ERC in the world export market, and later with the ERC version with the French Army, entering service in 1984.<ref>Foss, Christopher. ''Jane's AFV Recognition Handbook''</ref><ref name="IDR">Furlong, R. "Light Armored Vehicles for French Rapid Deployment Force" ''International Defense Review'', May 1981</ref>

===Production history===

The first production order for the ERC 90 F1 ''Lynx'' was in October 1979 from [[Argentina]], for 36 units, to be used by [[Argentine Marines]] to patrol the long border between Argentina and [[Chile]].{{citation needed|date=May 2017}} The second large order was from [[Mexico]], for 42 units in early 1981. Both countries ordered the ERC ''Lynx'' version because it could elevate or depress its 90mm cannon over a wider range for operations in steep mountain terrain.{{citation needed|date=May 2017}}

Further export orders followed. Both nations also appreciated the all-terrain mobility of the ''Lynx'' which is enhanced by the capability to raise or lower the central pair of wheels depending on terrain condition, especially in sandy or muddy ground.<ref>The French Army's Sagaies now have their middle set of wheels fixed in the down position.</ref> All versions of the ERC are also equipped with two hydrojets behind the rear wheels and require no preparation for amphibious operations.<ref name="IDR"/>

===ERC 90 F4 ''Sagaie''=== [[File:RHP Cote d'ivoire 2003.jpg|thumb|An ERC Sagaie of the [[1st Parachute Hussar Regiment|1 RHP]] in Ivory Coast, 2003]]

Shortly after the ERC 90 F1 Lynx had been built for export, Panhard recognized the need for a cost-effective light armoured vehicle that could defeat a more modern main battle tank (MBT), like the Russian T-72, which was being exported to many nations.{{citation needed|date=November 2014}} The ''Lynx'' version could only fire medium-velocity [[HEAT]] rounds in the anti-tank role, which lacked the penetration to defeat the more modern MBTs. Panhard designed a turret which mounted the long barrel F4 90mm smooth bore-cannon developed by GIAT, and designated the vehicle the ERC 90 F4 ''Sagaie''.<ref name="IDR"/>

The F4 90mm could fire [[APFSDS]] (Armour Piercing Fin Stabilised Discarding Sabot) rounds at a much higher velocity than the Lynx's F1 90mm. GIAT and Panhard both claimed it could penetrate heavy armour at 2,000 metres. For a while, GIAT engineers could not find a suitable muzzle brake for the ''Sagaie'' which would not interfere with the firing of APFSDS rounds, but found a suitable solution using a muzzle brake design from the older [[AMX-13]] tank.<ref name="IDR"/>

[[Ivory Coast]] was the first export customer, ordering five ''Sagaies'' to replace its aging AMX-13s in the light armour role. At the time, the French Army was organising the Fast Deployment Force (FDF) for overseas military missions, mainly in Africa or the Middle East. The main core of the FDF was the French Army's 9th Marine Infantry Division and the 11th Parachute Division.<ref>In the French army the Marine units are the old Colonial Infantry, ''Troupes coloniales'', renamed ''Troupes de marine'' in 1961, and not amphibious units.</ref> To make the new FDF "more muscular" a new unit was activated, the 31st Heavy Half Brigade (31 DBL), with two regiments. One regiment was to be armed with vehicles mounting the [[Euromissile HOT|HOT wire-guided missile]], and the other with cannon-armed vehicles that could provide both reconnaissance and a limited tank-killing role.

The French Army had at first planned on equipping the second regiment with the [[AMX-10RC]], but were told that this vehicle was not suitable for transport by the French Air Force [[Transall C-160]] or its allies' [[Hercules C-130]] aircraft, due to size and weight issues. In addition, most of the bridges in Africa had only a 6 to 8 ton load capacity. So instead of the larger AMX-10RC, which was already in service with the French Army, the French Army Staff took the surprise step in December 1980 of ordering the ''Sagaie'' for the future FDF.<ref name="IDR"/> To date, the ''Sagaie'' has proved very useful for the French Army in its African bases and even in urban conditions during the [[Siege of Sarajevo]]. The last known combat uses of the ''Sagaie'' were with French troops stationed in Ivory Coast on a peace-keeping mission between two rival factions, and in [[Mali]] in 2013.

==== Sagaie upgrade ==== The French Army upgraded between 2005 and 2009 160 of its 192 ERC's in service with a diesel [[MTU Friedrichshafen|MTU]] 4-cylinder 170 hp engine, coupled to an automatic gearbox made by Renk and made enhancements to the turret to improve observation, fire control and command.<ref>https://euro-sd.com/2024/06/articles/38947/the-french-armys-scorpion-programme-success-in-triplicate/</ref>

===ERC-90 ''Sagaie 2'' (twin-engine)=== A weakness of the Sagaie is its low [[power-to-weight ratio]]. The Sagaie 2, announced in 1985, is an ERC, extended with two Peugeot XD 3T four-cylinder turbocharged diesel 98 hp engines, the same engine used on the VBL (Light Armoured Vehicle).

Six were ordered by [[Gabon]], bearing the designation ERC-2; they are equipped with the TTB 190 turret designed by SAMM.

A prototype equipped with two PRV V6 engines was built as a private venture, but none were ordered.

==Variants== *'''EMC 81:''' Fire support version armed with 81mm mortar in an [[Hispano-Suiza]] EMC turret. *'''ERC 20 Kriss:''' Anti-aircraft version with 2× 20 mm [[autocannon]]s. *'''ERC 60-20:''' Fitted with Hispano-Suiza 60-20 Serval turret armed with a 60 mm mortar and a 20 mm autocannon. *'''ERC 90D (Diesel):''' Fitted with a diesel engine. *'''ERC 90 F1 Lynx:''' Fitted with the Hispano-Suiza Lynx 90 turret as fitted to the [[Panhard AML]]. *'''ERC 90 F4 Sagaie:''' Fitted with GIAT TS 90 turret with long barrel high velocity cannon that can fire APFSDS anti-tank rounds. *'''ERC 90 Sagaie 2:''' Slightly larger version fitted with twin engines and improved TTB 190 turret. *'''ERC 90 NG:''' Modernised version fitted with diesel engine and CMI Cockerill CSE90 turret.

==Operators==  [[File:ERC 90 operators.png|thumb|400px|A map of ERC 90 operators in blue]] *{{flag|Argentina}}: 12 ERC-90 ''Lynx''.<ref name="trade">{{cite web |url=http://armstrade.sipri.org/armstrade/page/trade_register.php |title=Trade Registers |publisher=Armstrade.sipri.org |access-date=2013-06-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110513073842/http://armstrade.sipri.org/armstrade/page/trade_register.php |archive-date=2011-05-13 |url-status=live }}</ref> *{{flag|Chad}}: 4 ERC-90 ''Lynx''.<ref name="trade"/> 9 more offered by France in January 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=23 January 2021|title=La France cède neuf blindés légers Sagaie à l'armée tchadienne|url=http://lignesdedefense.blogs.ouest-france.fr/archive/2021/01/23/la-france-cede-neuf-blindes-legers-sagaie-a-l-armee-tchadien-21823.html|access-date=2021-01-24|website=lignesdedefense.blogs.ouest-france.fr|language=fr}}</ref> *{{flaglist|Gabon}}: 6 ERC-90 ''Sagaie'', 4 ERC-20 ''Kriss''.<ref name=IISS>{{cite book |last=[[International Institute for Strategic Studies]]|date=2021|title=The Military Balance|page=466|isbn=9781032012278}}</ref> *{{flag|Ivory Coast}}: 7 ERC-90 ''Sagaie''.<ref name="trade"/> *{{flag|Mexico}}: 120 ERC-90 ''Lynx''.<ref name="trade"/> *{{flag|Nigeria}}: 40 ERC-90 ''Sagaie'', 40 ERC-90 ''Lynx''.<ref name="nigeriastudy">{{cite book|editor-last=Metz |editor-first=Helen Chapin |editor-link=Helen Chapin Metz |title=Nigeria: A Country Study|pages=336–349}}</ref>

===Former operators===

*{{flag|France}}: 190 ERC-90 ''Sagaie''.<ref name=WDA1993>{{cite book|editor-last=Bonsignore|editor-first=Ezio|title=World Defence Almanac 1992-93: The Balance of Military Power|date=1993|pages=74–75|publisher=Monch Publishing Group|location=Bonn|issn=0722-3226}}</ref> All ERC were retired in 2022.<ref>[https://www.opex360.com/2022/01/09/le-blinde-a-roues-erc-90-sagaie-ne-fait-officiellement-plus-partie-de-linventaire-de-larmee-de-terre/]</ref>

==References== ;Notes {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons}} *[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/europe/erc-90.htm globalsecurity.org] *[http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2003/iraq/interactive/ground.weapons/content.8.html cnn.com] *{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20050924134459/http://nasog.net/datasheets/armour/6/Panhard_ERC_90_F4_Sagaie_Armoured_Car.htm nasog.net]}} *[http://armour.ws/erc-90-sagaie-grv/ ERC 90 Sagaie on Armour.ws] *[https://translate.google.com/translate?js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=1&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.armyrecognition.com%2Findex.php%3Foption%3Dcom_content%26task%3Dview%26id%3D78&sl=auto&tl=en armyrecognition.com] ;Video links *{{YouTube|KFsw_xgLkwM|Panhard company promotional video of the ERC 90 Sagaie}} *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7RWpiQWGL4#t=0s Sagaie in action in CHAD] on ''Youtube'' by Panhard 2008.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Erc 90 Sagaie}} [[Category:Armoured cars of France]] [[Category:Fire support vehicles]] [[Category:Wheeled reconnaissance vehicles]] [[Category:Panhard military vehicles]] [[Category:Six-wheeled vehicles]] [[Category:Reconnaissance vehicles of the Cold War]] [[Category:Military vehicles introduced in the 1980s]]