Panhard M3
| Panhard M3 | |
|---|---|
M3 VTT "Bosbok" at Tempe School of Armour, Bloemfontein | |
| Type | Armoured personnel carrier |
| Place of origin | France |
| Service history | |
| Used by | See Operators |
| Wars | Portuguese Colonial War Angolan Civil War Lebanese Civil War Iran–Iraq War Gulf War Internal conflict in Burma Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017) Yemeni Civil War (2015–present) |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1968 |
| Manufacturer | Panhard |
| Unit cost | USD $166,000 (1986) |
| Produced | 1971–1986 |
| No. built | 1,180 |
| Variants | See Variants |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 6.1 tonnes (6.7 short tons; 6.0 long tons) |
| Length | 4.45 m (14 ft 7 in) |
| Width | 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) |
| Height | 2 m (6 ft 7 in) (hull) |
| Crew | 2 (commander, driver) + 10 passengers |
Main armament | Various |
| Engine | Panhard Model 4HD four-cylinder air-cooled petrol 90 hp (67 kW) at 4,700 rpm |
| Power/weight | 14.75 hp/tonne (10.9 kW/tonne) |
| Suspension | Independent; coil springs |
| Ground clearance | 0.35m |
| Fuel capacity | 165 litres |
Operational range | 600 km |
| Maximum speed | 90 km/h (56 mph) |
The Panhard M3 VTT (French: Véhicule de Transport de Troupes) is an amphibious armoured personnel carrier. Developed as a private venture for the export market, the M3 was built with the same mechanical and chassis components as the Panhard AML range of light armoured cars. The two vehicle types share a 95% interchangeability of automotive parts. The M3 is an extremely versatile design which can be configured for a wide variety of auxiliary battlefield roles. The most popular variants of the base personnel carrier included an armoured ambulance, a mobile command post, and an internal security vehicle. It could also be fitted with a wide variety of turrets and armament, ranging from a single general-purpose machine gun to medium calibre autocannon.
The M3's relatively light weight and the location of its air and exhaust outlets on the hull roof made it possible to design it as an amphibious vehicle. The M3 is propelled at a modest speed of 4 km/h through water by all four wheels. Although never adopted by the French Army, the M3 series was procured in vast quantities by foreign armies and security forces, especially in Africa and the Middle East. By the time production ceased in 1986, it was the most common wheeled APC produced by any Western nation in the world.