French prototype became the AMX-30. As early as 1969, the AMX-30 and variants were ordered by Greece, soon followed by Spain (AMX-30E). In the coming years, the AMX-30 would be exported to Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Cyprus and Chile. By the end of production, 3,571 units of AMX-30s and its variants had been manufactured. Both Spain and Venezuela later began extensive modernization programs to extend the life of their vehicles and to bring their tanks up to more modern standards. In the 1991 Gulf War, AMX-30s were deployed by both the French and Qatari armies. Qatari AMX-30s saw action against Iraqi forces at the Battle of Khafji. France and most other nations replaced their AMX-30s with more up-to-date equipment by the end of the 20th century. Background Although the occupation of France during World War II temporarily interrupted French development of armoured fighting vehicles, clandestine research allowed the French to quickly recover lost ground after its liberation in mid-1944. During the occupation, the French had secretly worked on an armour program that was, in 1944, taken over by the state workshop Atelier de Construction de Rueil (ARL), resulting in the design and production of the ARL 44, which began production in 1946. The tank was powered by a Maybach HL-230 engine, and armed with a tank gun. Although the vehicle was comparable to contemporary battle tanks in firepower and engine power, it suffered from distinct disadvantages, including an antiquated track design. While 600 were planned, only 60 were ultimately produced by 1950. That year, these were issued to the French Army's 503rd Tank Regiment. Given that the ARL 44 had been considered only a stop-gap vehicle for the French Army's armoured forces since inception, work on a new tank had begun as early as March 1945. Development of the new tank was offered to five separate manufacturers: Atelier de Construction d'Issy-les-Moulineaux (AMX), Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée (FCM), Renault, Societe Lorraine de Dietrich (SLD-Lorraine) and Societé d'Outillage Mécanique et d'Usinage d'Artillerie (SOMUA). The new vehicle was based on the new post-war requirement for a single battle tank. The new vehicle was designated the AMX 50. Its hull and suspension were similar to that of the German Panther tank, which had been used by the French Army in the immediate post-war. The French government's specifications for the new tank were strongly influenced by both the Panther