I have seen several different types of headlamp unit fitted as standard by the French army. The most common type made by Auteroche with the distinctive 'A' logo at the centre of the lens has been used to illustrate the old type in the photos below. The original tungsten bulbs had the equally distinctive French amber glass envelope but have a very low resulting light output. Fitting clear glass tungsten bulbs is a simple improvement and they are easy to obtain from dealers specialising in trucks. A better alternative is to upgrade to halogen and there are two ways of doing this.

If the reflector surface is in good condition a simple upgrade is possible using 24v H4 halogen conversion bulbs (base type P45T). These will directly replace the tungsten bulbs in original headlight units. The yellow tungsten bulbs had a small slot machined out of the base for a pilot light (side light) to shine through. With a bit of care it is possible to replicate this taking care not to touch the quartz glass of the halogen bulb. I reality it is hardly worth attempting as the pilot lights are only visible when the headlamps are 'killed' using the big button switch on the dashboard and even then they are hardly visible. I have come across several examples where the army replaced the yeallow bulb with a standard one with no cut out for the pilot lamp so I guess the feature was rarely if ever used in later years.

If the reflector is in poor condition then the unit will either need to be re-chromed or must be replaced. A suitable replacement can be obtained from Valeo (part number for LHD in the UK is Valeo 082379) This is a Cibie unit specifically designed for standard H4 halogen bulbs (base type P43T) and has a much more effective lens arrangement in the glass. The lens has a flat profile rather than the slightly convex profile of the original but does not look out of place when fitted.

It is possible to machine out a slot in the base of a P43T halogen lamp for the pilot bulb to shine through but more tricky due to the profile of the base. Again unless you are a perfectionist then it is hardly worth the effort. Differences between the original Auteroche and replacement Cibie units can be seen below.

The Valeo headlamp units can be ordered through most motorfactors in the UK. I got mine from Camberly Autofactors and they were available for next day delivery. They are pricey (a pair cost me £60 including delivery and VAT) and do not include 24v H4 P43T bulbs but then so is re-chroming if you decide to go that route. If the original units are in good condition and you want to retain the original appearance then fitting 24v H4 P45T bulbs is a cheaper alternative but you don't get the better optics of the Cibie unit. My thanks got to Dave Allaway (M201 No. 12513) for discovering the Valeo product and letting me know.