France's "light battle tank" for Ukraine

President Macron has announced it: France wants to deliver "light tanks" to Ukraine. There is an air of excitement among the tank delivery faction in Germany, as this would progress Ukraine's conversion to Western weapons and open the door to Western tanks.

To say that the delivered AMX-10 RC is a "light tank" is like claiming a croissant is as valuable as a small steak. The AMX-10 RC is a French armored combat vehicle manufactured by Nexter Systems for armored reconnaissance purposes. Since 1981, they have been supplying French cavalry units, and as of 2021, there are still over 240 in service with the French Army. The lightly armored AMX-10 RC is an armoured reconnaissance vehicle not designed for direct confrontation with more heavily armored Western tanks. Its cannon is also smaller than that of the Leopard 1 and not stabilized. It is not yet clear how many units France will deliver.