General characteristics
Crew 3 (driver, gunner and commander)
Length 7.7 m (with TS90 turret)
Width 2.50 m
Height 2.25 m
Mass in battle 8.3 t to 9 5 t
Shielding (thickness/inclination)
Type 10 mm of steel providing protection against 7.62 mm bullets at 30 meters
Armament
Main armament 1 x 90 mm CN90 F1 cannon (previously called D-921F1) or 1 x 90 mm CN 90 F4 cannon (previously called Super 90)
20 shells
Secondary armament 2 x 7.62 mm AANF1 machine guns (2000 rounds)
Mobility
Engine Peugeot V6 (PRV engine) (petrol) MTU supercharged 4-cylinder in line (diesel) Power 155 hp (latest version)(petrol) 170 hp (diesel)
Transmission (six gears forward and one reverse)
Suspension coil springs and hydraulic dampers
Road speed 90 km/h (petrol) 95 km/h (diesel)
Power-to-weight ratio 16.3 hp/t (9.5 t) to 18.7 hp/t (8.3 t)
Tank 242 l
Range 730 km (petrol) 800 km (diesel)
The ERC-90 (Engin à Roues, Canon de 90 mm), known as “Sagaie”, is a light French armored vehicle with six-wheel drive. It was designed by Panhard on its own funds, taking advantage of the work carried out for a competition launched in 1970 by the French army for the design of an armored forward vehicle won by Renault.
The ERC (gun reconnaissance machine) 90 Sagaie takes over from Panhard from the AML 60 and 90. This eight-ton, amphibious machine is a six-wheeler. As on the EBR, the central wheels rise on the road and lower to help clear obstacles. The ERC 90 can be seen as a successor to the AMLs in the French army.
Although the question is not yet settled, the decision to purchase fifty examples was made in December 1980 and this is the first time that the army has purchased a vehicle entirely designed for export.
The ERC 90s were to be pre-positioned in Africa, to be on site if needed, but it was finally decided to keep them in France; we do not yet know which units will be equipped with it.
The main advantage of the ERC 90 is its much more powerful 90mm gun than the AML. It fires feathered sub-caliber armor-piercing shells, known as “arrow shells”, at an initial speed of 1,350 meters/second. The NATO triple target, consisting of three armor plates (10 mm + 25 mm + 60 mm) spaced 330 mm apart and at 60° incidence, is pierced at 2,000 meters.
ERC 90 is capable of taking on Soviet T-54 and T-55 class medium tanks.