Cold War: Approximately 1947 (due to U.S. President Harry Truman’s Truman Doctrine) to 1991 (Operation Desert Storm, collapse of Soviet Union).
From U.S. Army Graphic Training Aid, Armored Vehicle Recognition, 1987.
Depending on your source of information, France has been using the AMX-10RC since 1979 or 1981. One source says development began in 1970, with the first French unit getting its AMX-10RCs between 1981 and 1982.
From U.S. Army Graphic Training Aid, Armored Vehicle Recognition, 1987.
I think it is strange that information on this armored car is so conflicting, and it is strange that I cannot find any images of in-service AMX-10RCs prior to Operation Desert Storm.
The RC stands for Roues-Canon, in English it means Wheeled-Cannon. It was made by a company called GIAT Industries (now called Nexter Systems).
French invasion of Chad, I mean peacekeeping operations, 1984.
Somewhere in Saudi Arabia, French AMX-10RC reconnaissance vehicles during a parade of coalition armor after Desert Storm. U.S. Air Force photo by Technical Sergeant H. H. Deffner, 14MAY1992.
SFor (Stabilisation Force) AMX-10RC in Bosnia-Herzegovina, 1998.
Beginning in 2005, France began upgrading their AMX-10RCs, changing the name to AMX-10RCR, the extra R stands for Renove, meaning renovated in English.
Qatari AMX-10RC, 28APR2013. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Corporal Juanenrique Owings.
On Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, 27OCT2017. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Corporal Damarko Bones.
On Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, 27OCT2017. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Corporal Damarko Bones.
Ukraine Crisis: February 2014 (NATO backed coup) to present.
French recon unit, Arta Training Range, Djibouti. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sergeant Steve H. Lopez, 06OCT2015.
Moroccan AMX-10RC, 2018.
Moroccan AMX-10RC during U.S./NATO wargame African Lion, June 2021.
Moroccan AMX-10RC during U.S./NATO wargame African Lion, June 2021.
Djiboutian Range Complex, Djibouti, 11AUG2021. U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sergeant Amanda Stock.
Djiboutian Range Complex, Djibouti, 11AUG2021. U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sergeant Amanda Stock.
NATO video of Ukrainian An-124 delivering French AMX-10RCR to NATO-Romania, 03MAR2022:
Moroccan AMX-10RC during U.S./NATO wargame African Lion, June 2022.
Djibouti, Horn of Africa, 10NOV2022. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Destani K. Matheny.
On 04JAN2023, President of France Emmanuel Macron announced that French taxpayers will give some AMX-10RCRs to Ukraine.