The AMX-30 is a main battle tank designed by GIAT, first delivered to the French Army in 1966. The production version of the AMX-30 weighed 36 metric tons (40 short tons), and sacrificed protection for increased mobility. The French believed that it would have required too much armour to protect against the latest anti-tank threats, thereby reducing the tank's maneuverability. The tank's firepower was manifested through its 105 mm (4.1 inch) cannon, firing an advanced high explosive anti-tank warhead known as the Obus G. Speed was provided by the 720 horsepower (540 kW) HS-110 diesel engine, although the troublesome transmission adversely affected the tank's performance. As the French Army began to modernize its fleet of tanks, a new transmission, a new fin-stabilized kinetic energy penetrator, and other improvements were later introduced. As early as 1969, the AMX-30 and variants were ordered by Greece, soon followed by Spain. In the coming years, the AMX-30 would be exported to Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Cyprus and Chile. By the end of production, 3,571 units of AMX-30s and its variants had been manufactured. In the 1991 Gulf War, AMX-30s were deployed by both the French and Qatari armies, and Qatari AMX-30s saw action against Iraqi forces at the Battle of Khafji.
Read the rest of this article: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMX-30> _______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries: 1066: William the Conqueror and his fleet of around 600 ships landed at Pevensey, Sussex, beginning the Norman conquest of England. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_conquest_of_England> 1542: Portuguese explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, the first European to travel along the coast of California, landed on what is now the City of San Diego. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Rodr%C3%ADguez_Cabrillo> 1928: Scottish biologist and pharmacologist Alexander Fleming noticed a bacteria-killing mold growing in his laboratory, discovering what became known as penicillin. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/penicillin> 1978: Pope John Paul I died only 33 days after his papal election due to an apparent myocardial infarction, an event that has spawned a variety of murder conspiracy theories. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_John_Paul_I> 1995: Over 30 mercenaries led by Bob Denard landed on the Comoros in an attempted coup, his fourth one on the African island nation since 1975. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Denard> _____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day: junket (n): 1. A type of cream cheese, made of sweetened curds or rennet. 2. A feast or banquet. 3. A pleasure-trip; especially a trip ostensibly made for business but which entails merrymaking or entertainment <http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/junket> ___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day: The way which the superior man pursues, reaches wide and far, and yet is secret. Common men and women, however ignorant, may intermeddle with the knowledge of it; yet in its utmost reaches, there is that which even the sage does not know. Common men and women, however much below the ordinary standard of character, can carry it into practice; yet in its utmost reaches, there is that which even the sage is not able to carry into practice. Great as heaven and earth are, men still find some things in them with which to be dissatisfied. Thus it is that, were the superior man to speak of his way in all its greatness, nothing in the world would be found able to embrace it, and were he to speak of it in its minuteness, nothing in the world would be found able to split it. --Confucius <http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Confucius> _______________________________________________ Wikipedia Daily Article mailing list. To unsubscribe, visit: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/daily-article-l Questions or comments? Contact [email protected]
