AMX-13-90

AMX-13-90

AML-90

MARS 15

AMX-13-90

AML-90

MARS 15

France

V Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
7.7	7.7	7.7

Class:

Light tank

Research:105 000

Purchase:300 000

Show in game

This page is about the French light tank AMX-13-90. For other variants, see AMX-13 (Family).

Description

The AMX-13-90 is a rank V French light tank with a battle rating of 7.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.75 "La Résistance".

The AMX-13-90 is a light tank, and a good one if you keep on scouting. Its low profile and good mobility are your best allies if you want to make good use of its 90 mm HEAT-FS shells, especially with its autoloader. Always flank, scout as much as possible and only shoot when you're sure no one is waiting for you to come out of your hiding. Most cannons above 20 mm will penetrate and destroy this very fragile vehicle and its small crew, so do your best to avoid being shot at.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour type:

• Cast homogeneous armour (Turret base, Turret front)
• Rolled homogeneous armour

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	20 mm (67°) Front glacis 20-40 mm (5-50°) Lower glacis	20 mm	15 mm Top 15 mm (45°) Bottom	10 mm 5 mm Engine grille
Turret	40 mm (32-45°) Turret front 40 mm (12-41°) Turret base 40 mm (15-75°) Barrel shroud	20 mm (0-30°) Turret 20 mm (12-14°) Turret base	20 mm Turret bustle 20 mm (17-22°) Pivot ball 10 mm (77-90°) Turret underside	10 mm
Armour	Sides	Roof
Cupola	20 mm	10 mm

Notes:

• Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick.
• Belly armour is 10 mm thick.
• 8 mm Structural steel firewall separates the driver from the engine.
• The track and wheel on the front glacis offer about 15 mm structural steel thickness.

Mobility

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	68	8	14.5	418	515	28.83	35.52
Realistic	61	7		239	270	16.48	18.62

Armaments

Main armament

90 mm CN90 F3					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	36	-6°/+13°	±180°	N/A	28.56	39.53	48.00	53.08	56.47	5.00	5.00	5.00	5.00
Realistic					17.85	21.00	25.50	28.20	30.00

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
OCC 60-62	HEATFS	320	320	320	320	320	320
OE 90 F1	HE	13	13	13	13	13	13

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile Mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
OCC 60-62	HEATFS	950	8.95	0.0	0.1	877.7	65°	72°	77°
OE 90 F1	HE	750	10.45	0.1	0.5	945	79°	80°	81°

Smoke shell characteristics
Ammunition	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile Mass (kg)	Screen radius (m)	Screen deploy time (s)	Screen hold time (s)	Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
OFUM PH90-F2	750	10.2	13	5	20	50

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the AMX-13-90

This tank features an auto-loading system that removes the need for a loader to reload the main gun. Twelve rounds in twin cylinders are stored in the back of the turret for rapid use. Once these racks are empty, rounds in the hull will need to be placed in the auto-loader rack before it can be used by the auto-loader, which takes about 20 seconds to perform for one round.

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	6th rack empty	7th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
36	30 (+6)	24 (+12)	19 (+17)	15 (+21)	10 (+26)	5 (+31)	1 (+35)	No

Notes:

• Ammo racks 1 and 2 are the auto-loader racks, and takes priority in being filled at the beginning of the battle, then fills racks 7 through 3.
• If both auto-loader racks are empty, the main gun cannot fire until ammo is loaded into the auto-loader racks.
• Simply not firing when the main gun is loaded will load ammo from racks 3-7 into the ready rack, as long as there is ammo present in racks 3-7. Firing the main gun will interrupt the loading of the ready racks.

Machine guns

7.5 mm MAC 31
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	4,950 (150)	1,350	N/A	N/A

Usage in battles

Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).

Modules

Tier	Mobility		Protection	Firepower
I	Tracks		Parts	Horizontal Drive
II	Suspension	Brake System	FPE	Adjustment of Fire	Airstrike
III	Filters		Crew Replenishment	Elevation Mechanism	OFUM PH90-F2	Smoke grenade
IV	Transmission	Engine		Artillery Support	Improved optics

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Has HEAT-FS
• Small profile
• Good mobility

Cons:

• HEAT-FS ammunition has poor post-penetration damage
• Lacks armour

History

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Development

The AMX-13-90 was an up-gunned version of the French AMX-13 light tank. In 1964, a prototype for a modernized AMX-13, called the 2E, introduced a 90 mm gun and also reduced the amount of return rollers from four to three. A second prototype with the 90 mm gun was built, called the 2F, introduced a thermal sleeve and reduced the return rollers to only two. 

The AMX-30 was planned in 1962  to replace the M47 and M48 Patton tanks of the French Army. As such, it was decided to modernize the AMX-13 fleet, as well as to produce new vehicles. The modernization began in 1964, and it included the 90 mm DEFA D921/F1 gun and many vehicles also received SS-11 wire-guided anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) mounted on racks above the gun base.

Design

The 2E and 2F prototypes led to the introduction of the production version, the AMX-13-90. The only significant change from the AMX-13 to the AMX-13-90 was the 90 mm F3 gun in a modified turret. The F3 was similar to the 90 mm DEFA D921/F1 gun of the AML-90, but the barrel was much longer. It therefore had a much higher muzzle velocity even though it used the same ammunition as the AML-90. Many also mounted SS-11 ATGMs on racks above the gun base.

Service

The French Army received most of the original 75 mm-armed version, with about 3,000 entering service. They were assigned to the regular armored units, which were mostly filled with M47 and M48 Patton medium tanks at the time. AMX-13 squadrons had four tanks, and were split into two sections of one infantry section and one light tank section each, along with an ammunition truck and command vehicle. These squadrons were used for screening and reconnaissance, locating enemy forces and engaging them. After the first section had engaged the enemy and was reloading, the second section engaged the enemy. The process of alternating reloading and firing between the sections allowed the tanks to hold off the enemy until medium tanks arrived.

In the 1960’s, the AMX-30 entered service. AMX-13s were used during the decolonization war in Algeria (1954-1962), although they saw little combat due to the lack of opposition and the terrain. After the French AMX-13s were up-gunned with the 90 mm gun, they often saw service in foreign theaters of operation due to their relative inexpensiveness. The AMX-13s were decommissioned and put into reserve starting in 1985.

From Devblog:

During the '50s and '60s, the AMX-13 light tank was considered to have underwhelming firepower when compared to certain other tanks fielded by other nations. To remedy this, several modernization and upgrade efforts were launched which focused primarily on improving the killing potential of the AMX-13. Some AMX-13s were equipped with different types of ATGMs, whilst others, like the AMX-13-90, received a larger caliber cannon with improved ballistic properties. In case of the AMX-13-90, the tank received, as the name already suggests, a 90mm CN 90 F3 cannon, which boasted increased penetrating power and allowed the AMX-13 to engage targets at longer distances too.

Media

The Shooting Range #77 - Pages of History section at 05:19 discusses the AMX-13.

The Shooting Range #148 - Metal Beasts section at 01:03 discusses the AMX-13-90.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the vehicles;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

• [Vehicle] AMX-13-90: New Toy to Play