Tank origin

Beginning in the late 1950s, France implemented the Engin Léger de Combat (“Light Combat Vehicle”) program to produce nimble, lightweight tanks that would use speed and firepower to counteract larger Eastern Bloc tanks. The EVEN series of vehicles was designed to compete with the proposals that manufacturing firm AMX submitted to the program, with the NA2 version featuring a repurposed turret that could mount either SS-11 or SS-12 anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs). Although prototypes of the EVEN tanks underwent trials, they were not selected for production.