The Panhard ERC (Engin à Roues, Canon; "Wheeled vehicle, cannon") is a French six-wheeled armoured car which is highly mobile and amphibious with an option of being NBC-proof.

[4][5] In 1977, Panhard offered the ERC and VCR to the French Army as an armoured personnel carrier (APC) and gun-armed reconnaissance vehicle.

The Army instead chose the VAB four-wheeled armoured vehicle from Saviem for the larger APC contract, and the AMX 10 RC from GIAT for the reconnaissance requirement.

Both countries ordered the ERC Lynx version because it could elevate or depress its 90mm cannon over a wider range for operations in steep mountain terrain.

Both nations also appreciated the all-terrain mobility of the Lynx which is enhanced by the capability to raise or lower the central pair of wheels depending on terrain condition, especially in sandy or muddy ground.

[citation needed] The Lynx version could only fire medium-velocity HEAT rounds in the anti-tank role, which lacked the penetration to defeat the more modern MBTs.

[5] The F4 90mm could fire APFSDS (Armour Piercing Fin Stabilised Discarding Sabot) rounds at a much higher velocity than the Lynx's F1 90mm.

At the time, the French Army was organising the Fast Deployment Force (FDF) for overseas military missions, mainly in Africa or the Middle East.

The last known combat uses of the Sagaie were with French troops stationed in Ivory Coast on a peace-keeping mission between two rival factions, and in Mali in 2013.