Giat Industries has developed a range of passive add-on armour packages that is suitable not only for AMX-13 light tanks but also for the more widely deployed US United Defense M113 series APC. These are systems which were originally developed by Creusot-Loire Industrie, hence the CLI letters in the specifications table below.

The add-on passive armour package for the AMX-13 light tank weighs under 650 kg with no single unit weighing over 50 kg, so enabling it to be installed or removed by the crew using onboard tools.

In the case of the AMX-13 light tank, the add-on armour package is installed on the turret front and sides and on the nose and glacis plate. When fitted it provides protection against penetration from 20 mm Armour-Piercing (AP) projectiles fired from a range of 100 m over a frontal arc of about 180°.

The next level of protection kit weighs a total of 750 kg and provides protection against 12.7 mm AP and 14.5 mm Armour-Piercing Incendiary (API) projectiles fired from a range of 100 m over 360° and protection against 20 and 23 mm AP rounds fired from a range of 200 m over a 90° arc.

Like the add-on armour package for the AMX-13, the one for the M113 can be installed or removed by the crew using onboard tools, although some panels, for example, those around the headlamps, cannot be easily removed.

All access panels, for example, those in the front that allow access to the engine for maintenance, can still be used.

When fitted with this kit the amphibious characteristics of the M113 APC are retained.

The AMX-13and M113 packages use high-hardness steel or composite armour.

As the AMX-13 light tank and M113 series are not used by the French Army these passive armour upgrades are aimed at the export market.

Development complete. Production as required. As far as is known this armour system is not used by the French Army.

Included in: Product Amount AMX-13 (Light tank) 1