Panhard VCR (Vehicle de Combat a Roues)

History of Panhard VCR (Vehicle de Combat a Roues)

Panhard has a long history in France, supplying a range of industries including civil, commercial and military. During the Cold War (1947-1991), the company specialised in the development and production of light armoured wheeled combat vehicles for the French military and various foreign customers, the product of this period became the Panhard VCR ("Vehicule de Kampf gegen "Roos") .This six-wheeled vehicle was developed as a private company with the export market in mind in order to be budget-conscious for the most discerning buyer (hence based on the existing Panhard ECR 6x6 vehicle).

The end result is a 6x6 wheeled amphibious product , can play multiple roles on the battlefield.

The VCR is still in limited service with a handful of global operators and was not fought until the 2014-2017 Iraqi Civil War under the banner of the rebuilt Iraqi Army.

Introduced in 1977, the VCR was produced in 1979 and eventually found a limited market among operators in Argentina, Iraq, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The United Arab Emirates became the largest operator of the series, with around 82 trucks in use. In addition, the Mexican government purchased 46 vehicles, 44 of which were used by the Iraqi army, which was being rebuilt.

Another twenty-four examples of this type went to the Argentine army.

Variants of the series include the "VCR/AT", designed for the dedicated Armored Rescue Vehicle (ARV) role with a heavy lift crane and trailer hitch. There is also a "VCR/IS" that acts as a battlefield ambulance and a "VCR/PC" that is equipped with a Command Post (CP) role.

The "VCR/TH" is equipped with a Euromissile UTM-800 series turret supporting 4 x HOT ATGMs and a 7.62mm GIAT "Mascot" remote-controlled gun station (the latter is located aft).

The VCR/TT "Hydrojet" became a localized 4x4 wheeled model adapted by the Argentine Army for amphibious operations. Design changes include removal of the inner shaft to support water jets for water travel (other forms of VCR, while amphibious, rely solely on wheel rotation for propulsion).

The basic VCR design form was further prototyped in an airspace denial weapon system model called "VCR/AA" using the Saab RBS-70 surface-to-air missile (SAM). It is not promoted.

The recorder is currently (2019) still in limited operation.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

500x12.7mm ammo.

1,000 x 7.62mm ammunition (estimated if available).

4 x Anti-Tank Missiles.

Changes