AMX-VCI
The AMX-VCI () is one of the many variants of the French AMX-13 light tank. It was the front line APC of the French Army until replaced by the AMX-10P. It is still used by some countries, for example Mexico, where it goes under the name of DNC-1 and is armed with a 20mm cannon. History. Beginning in 1957, some 3,000 vehicles were produced. It was initially produced as the AMX-13 VTT (), which carried ten infantrymen and was armed with either an AA-52 7.62 mm machine gun or a 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine gun in an  open mounting. The final versions had a turret equipped with a 20mm light autocannon, producing a vehicle that can be seen as an early example of the infantry fighting vehicle. Variants. The AMX-13 VCI itself was the basis for a number of variants: Combat history. Lebanese Civil War. A total of 60 AMX-VCI were delivered to the Lebanese Army in 1971-72, with additional 30 vehicles being reportedly delivered in May 1983. A number of VCIs were seized by the Amal Movement militia and the pro-Israeli South Lebanon Army (SLA) militia in February 1984 after the defeat  of the Lebanese government forces by Shia Muslim and Druze militias during the Mountain War. The captured vehicles were quickly pressed into service by the SLA, who used them until the collapse of the militia in the wake of the Israeli withdrawal of April 2000; those used by Amal were returned to the Lebanese Army earlier in October 1990. VCIs up-armed with US M40 106mm recoilless rifles were later employed by Lebanese Army General Michel Aoun's loyalist troops during the Elimination War against his Christian rivals of the Lebanese Forces (LF) militia at East Beirut in February  1990, who in turn also managed to capture some VCIs from Army barracks, which were returned in 1991-94.