The AMX-30E was a Spanish battle tank based on the French AMX-30. Although the Spanish government originally sought to procure the German Leopard 1, the lower-cost AMX-30, which could be manufactured in Spain, was ultimately awarded the contract. The first 19 tanks were acquired from France in 1970, while another 180 were assembled in Spain by Santa Bárbara Sistemas for the Spanish Army between 1974 and 1983. The tank was to supplement Spain's fleet of American M47 and M48 Patton tanks, reducing the army's reliance on American equipment. It was Spain's first mass-produced tank, leading to the development of the Lince tank project in 1985 and the Leopard 2E in late 2003. In the late 1980s, 150 of the AMX-30E tanks were modernized to improve the vehicle's automotive characteristics; another 149 received only upgraded transmissions. Part of the fleet was replaced in the late 1990s by the German Leopard 2A4, and the rest by Centauro wheeled anti-tank vehicles in the early 21st century.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMX-30E

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1462:

Forces led by Vlad III Dracula of Wallachia attacked an Ottoman camp at night in an attempt to assassinate Mehmed II. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Night_Attack

1775:

American Revolutionary War: British forces took Bunker Hill outside of Boston, Massachusetts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bunker_Hill

1900:

Boxer Rebellion: Allied naval forces captured the Taku Forts after a brief but bloody battle. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dagu_Forts_(1900)

1985:

On board Space Shuttle Discovery, Sultan bin Salman Al Saud became the first Arab, the first Muslim, and the first astronaut of royal blood to fly in outer space. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultan_bin_Salman_Al_Saud

1991:

The Parliament of South Africa repealed the Population Registration Act, which required that each inhabitant of South Africa be classified and registered by race as part of the system of apartheid. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Population_Registration_Act,_1950

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

postilion: A rider mounted on the near, leading horse pulling a carriage who guides the team. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/postilion

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Coercion never produces harmony. How harmonious are people who are being forced to act against their will? Most likely, those who are coerced will resent those who benefit from the coercion. This sets group against group; it doesn't bring them together.   --Harry Browne https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Harry_Browne