ELC project
The ELC project was a prototype Light Tank project launched by the French Ministry of Defense in 1955. The purpose of the ELC ("Engin Léger de Combat" en:Light combat vehicle) project was to develop a lightly armoured, heavily armed fighting vehicle capable of being transported by airlift for rapid deployment. ELC AMX series. Prototypes of the AMX ELC were manufactured by GIAT Industries under the AMX ("") designation, however the vehicle was not mass-produced and did not formally enter military service. The vehicle weighed 6 tons, with the driver and gunner located on either side of the  90mm D. 915 gun mounted on the turret. Since in addition to being very light, the tank was also very short (half a meter shorter than the AMX-13), the driver used a reclined position and the gunner had to have his body halfway inside the hull, making turret traverse limited: the turret could be traversed through 360 degrees when immobile, with a far more modest traverse arc, comparable to that of an assault gun, being available when in motion. The AMX ELC had a SOFAM 8 Gxb engine. Several models of the turret (AMX ELC bis) were tested on  chassis manufactured from plans created by Hotchkiss. The vehicle's drive suspension featured four roadwheels and two top rollers on each side. A new chassis began development in 1957, and was completed in 1961 under the designation of the ELC bis; this newer prototype had five roadwheels per side. The prototype is preserved at the Museum of Armour in Saumur. ELC EVEN series. The ELC EVEN was a series of light tanks created in competition with AMX's proposals. These prototypes featured an oscillating turret with a cupola for the gunner located along the turret centerline. The turret itself was  offset to the left in order to make room for a driver's compartment in the hull. ELC EVEN 30. The ELC EVEN 30 was armed with twin 30mm Hispano-Suiza autocannons with fluted barrels mounted on either side of the turret, with two machine guns mounted slightly inboard of these weapons. ELC EVEN 90. The ELC EVEN 90 featured a turret very similar to that of the ELC EVEN 30, but replaced both 30mm guns and the right-side machinegun with a single low-pressure 90mm D919 gun using 700m/sec HEAT rounds type G, on  the right side of the turret. ELC EVEN 120. The ELC EVEN 120 featured four 120 mm recoilless rifles arranged in horizontal pairs on either side of the turret. These weapons were to be reloaded by the driver either by rotating the turret so that the driver could open his hatch and insert new projectiles without leaving his seat, or by having the driver climb out and reload the weapons from a standing position next to the tank. It was also suggested that the rear ends of the 120mm weapons' barrels be cut so that the rear sections could  be rotated into the turret, allowing the gunner to reload the weapons without opening his hatch. Another version of the tank featuring two 120mm weapons, each with a five-round revolver-type autoloader, was suggested but not constructed. ELC EVEN - Nord-AVIATION Missiles. A vehicle armed with either four SS-11 ATGMs or two SS-12 SSMs mounted on arms on either side of a purpose-built welded plate turret, with an armored glass observation window on its front. A prototype featuring a combination of these weapons (two SS-11 on the right side of the turret and one SS-12 on the  left) was built.