Canon Automoteur AMX 50 Foch
Based on the M 4 chassis in 1950, AMX presented a prototype of a heavy tank destroyer in the form of a 120 mm self-propelled gun, the Canon Automoteur AMX 50 Foch, named after Marshal Ferdinand Foch. It was intended to give long range fire support to the medium/heavy AMX 50 100 mm model. The design had a lot of similarities with German Jagdpanther tank destroyer. It had a long bareled 120 mm gun with a muzzle break attached to a well sloped and heavily armored flat profile vehicle. Remotely controlled anti-aircraft machinegun was placed on the right side of the roof, while commander’s cupola with the range finder was pushed to the left.
Unlike previous post war concepts like the Mle. 1948, several AMX 50 TDs were built, the first in 1950. Field tests were promising, and army started to prepare to adopt AMX 50 Foch in small numbers. When AMX engineers managed to install a 120 mm gun into an oscillating turret of the AMX 50 120 tank, Foch immediately become obsolete and all further development and production were stopped. In order to try to sve the project, several proposals which incorporated installation of a much more powerful 155 mm gun were given to the army, but all efforts were abandoned when France made moves to adopt standardized NATO equipment and ammunition
There were attempts to upgrade the main gun to 155 mm, but these efforts were abandoned as France made moves to adopt standardized NATO equipment.
Based on the M 4 chassis in 1950, AMX presented a prototype of a heavy tank destroyer in the form of a 120 mm self-propelled gun, the Canon Automoteur AMX 50 Foch, named after Marshal Ferdinand Foch. It was intended to give long range fire support to the medium/heavy AMX 50 100 mm model. The design had a lot of similarities with German Jagdpanther tank destroyer. It had a long bareled 120 mm gun with a muzzle break attached to a well sloped and heavily armored flat profile vehicle. Remotely controlled anti-aircraft machinegun was placed on the right side of the roof, while commander’s cupola with the range finder was pushed to the left.