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Armored reconnaissance vehicles are quite peculiar machines. Their main task, as you may guess by the name, is to gather intelligence, not act as weapons. However, these machines are commonly used as small infantry fighting vehicles in tasks when their compact dimensions can be advantageous in supporting roles.
In 2010’s France made a decision to replace its AMX 10 RC and ERC 90 Sagaie vehicles with something new and the EBRC Jaguar was born.
The EBRC Jaguar is an armored reconnaissance vehicle, which entered service in 2020. Image credit: Domenjod via Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0
Real infantry fighting vehicles are typically quite large and are able to carry several soldiers (at least 6-8 in addition to the vehicle’s crew). Meanwhile, an armored reconnaissance vehicle is quite compact and usually doesn’t have space for carrying personnel. However, armored reconnaissance vehicles can perform similar tasks in terms of armored support.
The French EBRC Jaguar technically is not an infantry fighting vehicle, because its primary purpose is reconnaissance and it doesn’t take passengers.
A consortium of Nexter, Thales, and Renault Trucks Defense (Arquus) was formed in France to produce the multi-purpose armored personnel carrier VBMR Griffon. This 6×6 machine entered service in 2018 and can carry up to 8 passengers.
France also wanted an armored reconnaissance vehicle. In order to save money, they decided to go with the same contractor, who was able to use the same platform from the VBMR Griffon for the new machine EBRC Jaguar. In fact, these machines share 70 % of their components, which helps keeping the cost and maintenance complexity down.
The EBRC Jaguar has a large turret housing its main weapon – 40 mm automatic cannon. This is quite an impressive weapon, capable of firing 200 rounds per minute with a maximum effective range of 1,500 meters.
The Jaguar also has a 7.62 mm machine gun as well as MMP anti-tank missiles. It is operated by a crew of 3 people – driver, gunner, and commander. 500 hp engine in the EBRC Jaguar allows this 6×6 machine to reach a top speed of 90 km/h. If it travels a bit slower, it can go for 800 km without refuelling.
The max speed of the EBRC Jaguar is 90 km/h, courtesy of its 500 hp engine. It also has its own set of weapons. Image credit: Domenjod via Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0
The EBRC Jaguar is designed to enter dangerous areas to gather intelligence. This is why it has STANAG 4569 Level 4 armor protection, which can shelter the crew from 14.5×114mm armor-piercing rounds, 155mm artillery shell splinters, and 10 kg mine blasts. It can also fire flares to fool some anti-armor missiles.
France is going to be the primary user of the EBRC Jaguar, but Belgium has ordered them as well. Some militaries do not see the utility of armored reconnaissance vehicles anymore, but France still believes they are relevant. The EBRC Jaguar weighs just 25 tonnes and is quite compact, which makes it more versatile in some situations. It is a modern weapon, which can stand its ground and support the infantry even on the modern battlefield.
Source: Wikipedia
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