France showcased how a hopelessly obsolete AMX-30 tank can be transformed into a fully modern combat robot Refurbot, so what can it do now
During the international arms exhibition Eurosatory 2026 in Paris, the French division KNDS France and S2M Equipment unveiled their new heavy robotic ground complex Refurbot for the first time.
What distinguishes Refurbot from other heavy robotic ground complexes, of which quite a few have been presented recently, is that it is built on the chassis of the AMX-30 main battle tank, developed in the 1960s. Despite the fact that it is still used in many countries, it is now hopelessly obsolete. This is reported by the publication Army Recognition, which attended the exhibition.
More precisely, the Refurbot presented at the exhibition was built on a refurbished AMX-32 chassis, which was a prototype of the export version of the AMX-30, but never went into mass production. It is likely that the AMX-32 was chosen for use simply because it was available in a serviceable technical condition in storage.
As can be seen from the photos, during the transformation of the AMX-32 into Refurbot, it was left without a turret with a 105-mm or 120-mm gun and an integrated 20-mm automatic cannon. This decision is likely due to the fact that this tank is not equipped with an autoloader, so in unmanned mode, there is simply no one to load the shells, and the gun along with the heavy turret become just an unnecessary burden.
Instead, the Refurbot received the ARX25 combat module with a 25-mm automatic cannon 25M811 and a coaxial 7.62-mm machine gun. This combat module features a modern fire control system with a panoramic sight, stabilization, and a laser rangefinder.
The transformation of the AMX-32 tank into the unmanned Refurbot was made possible by the TOXO robotization kit, which is equipped with lidars, radar stations, thermal imaging cameras, navigation modules, and other systems.
As can be seen from the available photographs, all the external sensors of the TOXO robotization complex are housed in two “spoilers” at the front and rear. Thanks to this, it is likely still possible to install massive “akra” on the Refurbot without hindering the proper functioning of all necessary sensors.
The specifications of Refurbot itself have not yet been announced. However, we will add that the AMX-32 has the following characteristics: combat weight of 40 tons, maximum speed up to 65 km/h, achieved thanks to a Hispano-Suiza HS-110 diesel engine with 720 hp.
Given that the entire heavy armored turret with the 105-mm gun has been dismantled, the combat weight is likely to be significantly lower, and the speed may only increase, if the transmission allows. It is unknown whether the basic Hispano-Suiza HS-110 diesel engine has been replaced with something more modern, but such an option is quite possible.
Speaking of heavy robotic ground complexes, one can also recall the seriously modernized Ukrainian BRDM-2M, which was only recently presented for the first time, and also received a robotization complex, thanks to which it became optionally unmanned.