@Carlos - IRL Mexico swapped the 37mm gun out on some of their M8 fleet for a French manufactured 20mm gun...
Thanks Jeff ... interesting gun.
After Googling around, I see that the M8's gun was supposed to be made in Mexico by the workshops of SEDENA (
Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional). As you said, though, its based on a French design - the GIAT Modèle F2 (a navalised 20x139mm GIAT M693 which, in turn, was based on the Swiss 30x170 HS 830 - so basically the same as the US M139 used on the M114 and some LVTP-7s). Phew!
Local terminology is rather garbled. SEDENA offers a course on operating "GIAT Y GI-2" ... making it sound like an 'either/or' deal. Elsewhere, SEDENA refers to this gun as the "Cañón Cal. 20mm, Hispano-Suizo Giant GI-2". If SEDENA
does hold a licence, its a little weird that they can't spell either GIAT or Hispano-Suiza properly
The
Sentinel México Facebook blog acknowledges the French/South African origins confusion. Then goes on to say that Mexican F2s/GI-2s arm the MEX-1 (Chrysler MAC-1) and M8A1 armoured cars; SEDENA-Henschel HWK-11 and DNC-13 (AMX-13 VCI) tracked vehicles; Chevrolet Cheyenne 'technicals'; and some Bell 212 and 412EP helicopters.
