Page "AMX-30" Paragraph 23

Beginning as early as 1973, only seven years after the beginning of production, the French began a research program for a future modification of the tank.

The project was to result in a AMX 30 Valorisé (" upgraded AMX-30 ").

In June 1979, the French Army decided to both build new and modernize existing AMX-30s with an improved fire control system and a new transmission, and designated them AMX-30B2s.

The first new production vehicles were taken into service in January 1982.

Improvements to the COTAC APX M-508 fire control system included the installation of a laser rangefinder and a low-light TV ( LLTV ).

The main gun's lethality was improved with the introduction of a new armour piercing fin stabilized discarding sabot ( APFSDS ).

The original engine was exchanged for an improved variant, known as the HS-110. 2, producing.

The poor transmission was replaced with the semi-automatic SESM ENC200 transmission, with a torque converter.

The suspension was improved by adopting new torsion bars and shocks which increased the vertical deflection range of the road wheels, thereby improving the tank's off-road mobility.

From 1998, the French army started to replace the engines of its remaining AMX-30 tanks and variants with 500 Renault Mack E9 750 hp engines.