France reinforce Chad with ERC-90 light tanks
The Chadian Army has taken delivery of at least nine ERC-90 Sagaie 6×6 light tanks to enhance its peacekeeping and counterterrorism operations.
The ERC-90 combat vehicles were delivered to Chad as the French Army plans to replace its with the all-new Jaguar combat vehicle.
The ERC-90 vehicles were handed over on 23 January in the capital N’Djamena in a ceremony attended by Chad’s defence minister Lieutenant General Abali Salah in the presence of the Ambassador of France Bertrand Cochery and General Jean-Pierre Perrin, Commander of the French Elements in Gabon (EFG).
Chadian soldiers will be trained to be vehicle commanders, drivers and gunners, the French Embassy in Chad said. About twenty Chadian soldiers are currently being with the armored operational instruction detachment (DIO) of the French forces in Gabon. Also, the vehicles were supplied with spares, including additional engines, as well as ammunition.
Later this year, in April Chadian personnel will study fire management and combat tactics for the vehicles, and their training will continue until June 2021.
According to the French embassy, twelve crews will be trained to operate the ERC-90 vehicles, “Rustic, efficient and reliable, these ERC-90s have proven themselves and will perfectly meet the operational needs of the Chadian army in its contributions to the fight against terrorism and to peacekeeping operations.”
The newly delivered ERC-90 light tanks are armed with a 90 mm main gun and two 7.62 mm machineguns.
The ERC-90 Sagaie 6×6 are light reconnaissance vehicle developed by the French company Panhard, which is now part of Arquus, formerly Renault Trucks Defense.
Chad already operates four ERC-90s delivered in 1987, and also uses several other wheeled armored vehicles provided by France including 132 AML-60/AML-90 vehicles, 22 Bastion Patsas and Bastion APCs, and VAB and Black Scorpion APCs.
Chad, is also part of the regional organization G5 Sahel (Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad) fighting Islamist insurgents in the Sahel since 2017.
