| VBMR Griffon | |
|---|---|
_(4).jpg) A standard unarmed VBMR Griffon after the 2021 Bastille Day Parade (14 July 2021) | |
| Type | Multirolearmoured personnel carrier |
| Place of origin | France |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2019 – present |
| Used by | France Belgium |
| Production history | |
| Designer | KNDS France Arquus Thales |
| Designed | 2010 - 2017 |
| Manufacturer | KNDS France Arquus Thales |
| Unit cost | Griffon VTT (standard):€1.5 million (FY2017)[1] |
| Produced | 2018 - present |
| No. built | 575 units as of 31 December 2023[2] |
| Variants | Armoured personnel carrier, command post, artillery observation, self-propelled mortar, medical evacuation, and associated subvariants |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 25 tonnes |
| Length | 7.6 m (24 ft 11 in) |
| Width | 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) |
| Height | 3.7 m (12 ft 2 in) |
| Crew | 2 (driver + gunner) |
| Passengers | 8 |
| Armour | STANAG 4569 Level 4 (standard) Additional modular armour kits (optional) |
Main armament |
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Secondary armament |
|
| Engine | MilitarizedRenault Trucks 6-cylinder turbodiesel engine 400 hp (300 kW) |
| Transmission | ZF seven-speed automatic gearbox |
| Suspension | Six-wheel drive |
Operational range | 800 km (500 mi) |
| Maximum speed | 90 km/h (56 mph) |
TheVéhicule Blindé Multi-Rôle Griffon (English: Multirole Armoured Vehicle Griffon) orVBMR Griffon is a French six-wheel multi-purposearmoured personnel carrier developed and manufactured byKNDS France (formerlyNexter Systems),Arquus (formerlyRenault Trucks Defense) andThales. The vehicle entered service in 2019 and is, alongside the four-wheelVBMR-L Serval co-developed byKNDS France andTexelis, the successor of theVéhicule de l'Avant Blindé (VAB).
Components of the FrenchSCORPION programme, the two vehicles are expected to fulfill a wide range of tasks and thus consist of several variants and subvariants. An on-board 120 mm mortar system based on theGriffon, designatedGriffon MEPAC, has notably been developed. Furthermore, two distinctServal-basedair defence platforms are under development as of 2023; theServal LAD, intended as a dedicatedcounter-UAV vehicle, and theServal Mistral (orServal TCP) for generalV/SHORAD applications.
In total, 1,818VBMR Griffon, 2,038VBMR-L Serval, 54Griffon MEPAC as well as at least 85 Serval LAD and Serval Mistral/TCP are to be delivered to theFrench Army by 2035.
Since the 2000s, the French Army had been looking to replace the emblematicVAB, which entered service in 1979. The vehicle was becoming increasingly obsolete in the face of new and upcoming conflicts.[3] After multiple postponements of a programme to modernize the French Army'sArmoured Cavalry Arm, the 2013 White Paper on Defense and National Security recommended the order of 2080 multi-role armoured vehicles (1,958 heavyVBMR and 122 lightweightVBMR) as well as 248 armoured reconnaissance and combat vehicles (EBRC).[4] In 2014, the FrenchMinistry of Defense finally entrusted their design to a consortium formed byNexter,Arquus andThales, who had announced their intention to collaborate as early as 2010 and had initiated preliminary work for a joint technical solution.[5]
The development and purchase of this new generation of armoured vehicles, part of a programme styledSCORPION (Synergie du COntact Renforcée par la Polyvalence et l'InfovalorisatiON;English: Contact Synergy Reinforced by Versatility and Infotainment), was officially announced on 5 December 2014.[6] The long-awaited first stage of the programme had been launched in October that year. This first stage, for a total cost of nearly €5.1 billion (FY2017), includes the replacement of theVAB by theVBMR Griffon, the replacement of theAMX-10 RC,ERC-90 Sagaie andVAB HOT by theEBRC Jaguar, themodernization of the Leclerc tank as well as the development of a unified combat information network to ensure the coherence of systems in service.[7] Under this initial €5 billion investment plan up to 2025, 780VBMR and 110EBRC were to be acquired.[8] The content of the following stages of the programme was to be consolidated at a later date to achieve the target set by the 2014-2019 Military Programming Law (LPM) and updated by the Defence Council's amendments on April 6, 2016: 1,722 heavyVBMR Griffon, 522 lightweightVBMR (which was to become theVBMR-L Serval), 248EBRC Jaguar and 200 renovatedLeclerc XLR.[9] The first 319Griffon and 20Jaguar were ordered in April 2017.[10]
In the 2019-2025 LPM adopted in July 2018, theSCORPION programme's targets were revised upwards with the planned acquisition of a total of 1,872VBMR Griffon, 978VMBR-L Serval, 300EBRC Jaguar as well as the upgrade of 200Leclerc tanks and 18DCL armoured recovery vehicles to theXLR standard; all to be delivered by 2030.[11] The total cost of the programme was estimated at €11 billion.[12]
On 26 October 2018, the Belgian government formalized the plan to purchase 60EBRC Jaguar and 382VBMR Griffon for €1.5 billion. The vehicles will replace theBelgian Army'sPiranha IIIC armoured personnel carriers andDingo 2infantry mobility vehicles. The deal includes spare parts and secure communications equipment and deliveries are scheduled to start in 2025.[13]
When the first stage of the programme was launched in 2014, the aim was to achieve an acquisition cost of €1 million perVBMR and €3 million perEBRC.[14] This was expected to be achieved in part through the large quantities ofSCORPION vehicles to be acquired, enabling economies of scale. Furthermore, the consortium opted for theGriffon to share 70% of its components with theJaguar to save on development, production and maintenance costs as well as to facilitate logistics. Constituents shared include the suspension, supplied byStrasbourg-based companyQuiri, theElips intercom system byArgenteuil-basedElno, the roof-mountedPILAR Vacoustic gunfire detection and localization system byLyon-basedMetravib Defence, as well as thevetronics.[15][16] Featuring a wide range of state-of-the-art technologies, theJaguar ultimately ended up costing twice as much as expected with an estimated unit cost of €6 million (FY2019),[17] but theGriffon nonetheless benefited from the common development with an average cost estimated at just €1.5 million per unit (FY2017),[1] 50% more than its original target price.
Derived from theBMX 01 prototype proposed byRenault Trucks Defense, theGriffon benefits from a classic layout. It's a huge armoured truck withsix-wheel drive and four-wheel steering (front and rear axles), with thepowertrain at the front. The vehicle weighs in at around 25 tonnes in combat order, roughly twice as much as the 13-tonneVAB. The embarked combat group of a standardGriffon (theVTT Félin) comprises 10 fully-equipped soldiers; a driver, a dedicated gunner as well as 8 infantrymen, including the commander. In the crew cabin, the driver (front left) and the remote turret gunner (front right) are sheltered by a one-piece armoured windshield. They access their seats through side doors fitted with armoured windows.[18] The rear part of the body is taken up by the compartment, with two small armoured windows on each side, where 8 men sit facing each other on anti-blast seats fixed to the side walls. A ramp at the back, featuring an emergency door and an episcope, that comes down low enough for the troops to skip on and off enables entry and exit. The rear compartment is surmounted by four roof hatches: one at the front left, behind the driver; one above the gunner's station, behind the remotely-operated turret; and two at the rear.[19] TheGriffon features a militarized variant of a commercialRenault-Volvo dieselpowertrain rated at 400 hp, an automatic gearbox and independent running gears, enabling the vehicle to reach a top speed of 90 km/h and a range of up to 800 km. The engine is rail-mounted, facilitating maintenance operations. It is able to run on various types of fuel to facilitate replenishment wherever in the world French forces would be deployed.[20][21] TheGriffon also incorporates air conditioning and heating for comfort, as well as anoverpressure protection system in order to keep the crew and passengers safe from chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats.[22] Crossing capacities are of the order of 1.2 m for a ford, 50 cm for a step and 1 m for a ditch.[23]
TheGriffon is designed to offerSTANAG 4569 Level 4 armour protection as standard, being capable of withstanding14.5 mm armour-piercing ammunition, 155 mm artillery shell splinters,IEDs andmine blasts, thus significantly improving the safety of the soldiers engaged over theVAB.[22][24] Furthermore, armour protection levels can be raised beyond STANAG Level 4 through the installation of a modular armour package. A deployed FrenchGriffon GTIA (in the French Army, a GTIA is a combined arms battle group composed of a little over 1,000 men) would be composed of two or three infantry companies equipped withGriffon vehicles, and aJaguar cavalry squadron.[25] Although its structure would be modular according to the missions assigned to it, each conventional infantry company is expected to have at its disposal: a command section comprising a commandGriffon (Griffon EPC), a mobile maintenance workshop one (Griffon ELI) and 2 medical evacuation ones (Griffon SAN); three infantry sections with 4Griffon each (Griffon VTT Félin); a combat engineering section with 3Griffon (Griffon GEN); a fire support section with 2Griffon equipped with81 mm mortars (Griffon MO81), another with 2Griffon equipped withAkeron MP missiles (Griffon MMP) and a last one with aGriffon embarking asniper section (Griffon STE).[26][27] In addition, there is an artillery observationGriffon (Griffon VOA) as well as several trucks and light all-terrain vehicles.[28]
TheDirection Générale de l'Armement (DGA), the French defense procurement agency, announced theGriffon's qualification on June 24, 2019, enabling the first vehicles to be delivered on July 4, 2019. By the end of 2021, 339 units of theVMBR Griffon had been delivered to the French Army. The first operational units were displayed on theChamps-Élysées during the 2019 Bastille Day Parade. By 2025, theSCORPION infantry should have achieved its first infovalorization and collaborative combat capability, with theGriffon multi-role armoured vehicles having begun to replace the quadragenarianVAB in 2019 and half of theGriffon ordered expected to have been delivered. In the 2024-2030 Military Programming Law, it is stated 1,437VBMR Griffon are to enter French service by 2030 and 1,818 by 2035. 54Griffon MEPAC are also expected to be delivered to the French Army by 2030.[29]
The data collected by the sensors equipping theGriffon are fed into theSCORPION bubble via a common combat information network, which is theSICS (Système d'Information du Combat de SCORPION;English: SCORPION Combat Information System), developed byAtos-Bull, and theCONTACT (COmmunications Numériques TACtiques et de Théâtre;English: Tactical and theater digital communications)software defined radio system developed byThales. TheSICS interconnects all the players in a combined arms battle group, while theCONTACT provides communication capabilities between the vehicles, with simultaneous and real time voice and data transmission. TheGriffon is characterized by its vetronics i.e. the architecture of its on-board electronic systems.[30] Also developed byThales, the architecture is common to allSCORPION vehicles. It requires compact yet powerful computers and links all navigation, protection, observation and communication systems. It manages and merges all data within the vehicle. TheSCORPION Common Vetronics ensure the processing and exchange of intra- and inter-vehicle data, enabling collaborative combat. In addition, vetronics play a decisive role in vehicle protection, thanks in particular to algorithms that offer the vehicle commander and his men several options for dealing with a threat, allowing them to opt for the one they deem the most adequate for the situation.[31] Meanwhile,Safran'sEpsilon 10inertial navigation system provides precise position, autonomous engagement and navigation capabilities to the vehicle, including inGNSS-denied environments.[22]
TheGriffon's countermeasures include a laser alert detector, a missile launch detector, a gunshot detection system, an infrared jammer and an anti-IED jammer.[22] It will integrate both theECLIPSE smart software defined jammer fromThales, which provides electronic protection against IED/RCIED threats as well as the company'sANTARES optronics system. TheECLIPSE instantly detects and responds to the triggering of improvised explosive devices by jamming radio remote control signals across a wide range of frequencies without interfering with the radio communication systems used by friendly forces.[32] TheANTARES combines precise laser warning and local situational awareness capabilities in a single electro-optical head. The module can be mounted on either the vehicle's roof or turret and provides a 360° azimuthal field of view around the vehicle, day and night, and elevation coverage from -15° to +75°, which also makes it possible to spot snipers on rooftops.[33][34] With a resolution of 5 million pixels, it provides colour video for daytime operations and black-and-white video for night-time operations. In daylight, the system can see an armoured vehicle at a distance of 500 m or a small drone at a distance of 250 m, and detect a human being up to 150 m away. Thanks to its built-in laser warning system, theANTARES also issues an alert if the vehicle is targeted by a laser rangefinder or designator. It can locate laser threats to within 1.5 degrees as well as detect the launch of an incoming missile, allowing the crew to react as it sees fit.[33][34] Additionally, the vehicle features thePILAR V, a roof-mounted device capable of detecting, identifying and locating shots from small arms, medium-calibre weapons, mortar shells,shaped charge rockets orRPGs in real time. It provides a 360° coverage and is always active. It can filter outgoing fire to avoid false detections and false reports to the SICS combat information system, and can detect whether single or burst shots are being fired in the vehicle's direction. ThePILAR V is accurate to within 2° in azimuth and 3° in elevation, with a 10% margin for distance estimation. However, if otherGriffon orSCORPION vehicles are in the vicinity, their ownPILAR V systems will detect the shot as well and can exchange the data instantly. The vetronics will then triangulate to pinpoint the shooter's position and share the information across all vehicles. The vetronics will also be able to automatically direct the remotely-operated turret towards this position, and propose firing among other options. This threat discrimination and precise target designation capability improves situational awareness, immediate reaction and the effectiveness of retaliatory fire.[35][36]
Countermeasures yet to equip theGriffon include anactive protection system; one is being developed byThales andNexter for integration onSCORPION vehicles under the PROMETEUS (PROtection Multi Effets Terrestre Unifiée;English: Unified terrestrial multi-effect protection) programme, which aims to develop a global armour protection system forSCORPION vehicles combining three technologies: "versatile passive protection", "reactive protection" and "active protection".[37][38] The latter, designatedDiamant, is a distributed hard-kill active protection system being developed byThales comprising four frequency-modulated continuous-wave radar sensors mounted on the corners of the vehicle, a number of effector modules mounted around the perimeter of the vehicle, on its roof and around its hood, and a power supply system for the control unit computer. The system uses the radars to detect and track potential threats such asanti-tank rockets andanti-tank guided missiles. Once the threat has been detected, the system instructs the appropriate effector module to launch a countermeasure along the threat's trajectory, in order to destroy or degrade it sufficiently so that it can no longer perforate the vehicle's passive armor.[39]
TheGriffon is designed to simplify maintenance. The vehicles are fitted with sensors on key components, such as suspension, brake pads and gearboxes, enabling predictive maintenance.[3][40] The principle is to deployHealth and Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS) on these key functions to generate continuous data on vehicle activity. This data is stored and analyzed to determine remaining potential, anticipate breakdowns and program interventions at the right moment. This method, one of several being explored as part of theMCO-T 2025 plan, is intended to help streamline support operations and improve vehicle availability. HUMS sensors can, for example, take the form of a dynamic engine oil quality control system. This control tool will allow oil changes to be carried out when necessary, rather than systematically after a set number of kilometers.[40] The adoption of predictive maintenance, agreed in a rider to theSCORPION contract, meant developing the software layer needed to coordinate sensors and analyze data.SCORPION vehicles are the first in the French military designed to be equipped with HUMS sensors; adding this capability is therefore not a complex operation. It boils down to connecting a few cables to a central box located behind the vehicle's driver.[40] The maneuver is also closely linked to theSERUM (Système d'Entretien et de Réparation Unique du Maintenancier;English: Maintainer's Unique Maintenance and Repair System) cases developed byArquus. This diagnostic tool takes the form of a computer which can be plugged into the vehicle to perform maintenance operations or identify faults.[40]
TheVBMR Griffon, in its standardVTT Félin configuration, is equipped with a gyro-stabilizedT1 Hornetremote controlled weapon station provided byArquus. It is armed with either a 12.7 mm or 7.62 mmmachine gun, or a 40 mmautomatic grenade launcher. The ammunition box is mounted on the left side of the turret and holds 300 rounds of 12.7 mm ammunition, or 1,000 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, or 64 40 mm grenades.[41] The lower part of the turret, meanwhile, incorporates an independentGALIX countermeasure system developed and manufactured byLacroix Defense andNexter, which consists of 8 80 mm smoke grenade dischargers linked to theANTARES laser warning system. It operates alongside the missile launch detector, thePILAR V, theECLIPSE and the infrared jammer. TheGALIX is a self-protection system that makes vehicle protection more reliable through an automatic detection action, which drastically reduces protection engagement time by automating the decision phase. When a shot is detected within a 5 km radius, the sensors transfer threat and angle-of-attack data to the vehicle'sfire-control system. In response, theGALIX will launch multispectral countermeasures in less than a second, capable of disrupting the opposing gunner.[42] Essentially, the grenades deploy a cloud of smoke that mask the vehicle in visible range as well as all laser wavebands (target designators, laser rangefinders, etc) and large infrared bands (0.8-14 microns) covering bands I, III and IV. This non-toxic protective cloud lasts up to 90 seconds and is created from ground level up to a maximum height of 7 meters and to a distance of between 20 and 60 meters from the vehicle. Furthermore, the system is designed not only for self-defense (passive action), but is also capable of neutralizing hostile personnel (as it can fire a variety of lethal and non-lethal charges).[43] TheHornet is electrically powered and has a 360° rotation, with elevation from -20° to +60°. The turret is controlled from inside the vehicle using a joystick associated to a dedicated 13’3 16/9 full HD touch screen.[41] The day and night sighting and fire-control system it integrates (theMINEO fromSafran, mounted to the right side of the main armament) grants the vehicle commander and gunner a wider field of vision for target detection, recognition and identification.[22] TheMINEO combines an uncooled thermal imager, a laser rangefinder and three fixed daylight cameras with fields of view of 40°, 10° and 3°. Close to the human eye, the first is used to scan wide and provide an overall understanding of the situation. If something or someone catches his eye, the shooter can switch to the medium field and then concentrate on identifying the threat with the smaller field. The same goes for the thermal camera, this time with 14° and 7° fields. The rangefinder, meanwhile, provides the ability to mark a target.[44]
With variants and subvariants incorporating equipment and/or systems specific to them,Griffon-derived fire support vehicles possess their own main armament, ranging from Akeron MP missiles to the MEPAC on-board 120 mm mortar system. They nonetheless also integrate a remotely-operated turret as secondary armament (typically theT2 Hornet Lite equipped with a 7.62 mm machine gun as well as theGALIX, and featuring the sameMINEO sighting system as theT1 Hornet).[45][46]
EachSCORPION vehicle's remote controlled weapon station is a contributor to the intelligence acquisition and sharing chain. As commonSCORPION equipment, they are the "eyes" of collaborative combat. Each remotely-operated turret is integrated into the vehicle's vetronics, which in turn is linked to the other elements of a French company team or GTIA via theSICS combat information system. This facilitates the sharing of tactical information in real time, allowing every section to have a precise idea of the situation of friendly vehicles and enablingSCORPION Vehicle A (whether aGriffon,Serval,Jaguar orLeclerc XLR) to engage a target identified bySCORPION Vehicle B.[44]
To rationalise development, production and maintenance costs, the French army has opted for a semi-modular platform. The front part of the vehicle, from the engine compartment to the intermediate bulkhead, will be identical for the entire fleet. Only the rear half, from the second axle upwards, will be modular. It will therefore be possible, for example, to alter aGriffon MMP subvariant into aGriffon VTT Félin one simply by replacing the missile supports in the rear section of the cabin with seats. This novel configuration will enable the French Army to efficiently replace the 30 or so variants of the VAB.[47] TheGriffon will be available in six main variants:VTT (all-terrain troop transport vehicle),EPC (command post vehicle),VOA (artillery observation vehicle),SAN (medical evacuation vehicle),MEPAC (on-board 120 mm mortar for contact support) and NRBC (CBRN defense vehicle).[47] Apart from these variants, there are many levels of adaptability for theGriffon. In addition to the common base, this central attribute of modularity extends to turret and protection kits. Not all vehicles are equipped with these kits from the outset, as they are installed according to mission requirements.[47]
The list below summarises the variants designed for the French Army, not all will be operated by Belgium and Luxembourg.
TheGriffon VTT represents the principal variant of theVBMR Griffon, with over 1,000 vehicles to be delivered. Its first and most common configuration, theFélin (infantry carrier), was qualified for service on 24 June 2019. TheGriffon VTT will consist of seven subvariants:Félin,STE (sniper section carrier),MMP (medium-range missile platform),MO81 (dismounted 81 mm mortar vehicle),GEN (combat engineering vehicle),ELI (light intervention element vehicle; the principle is that of a mobile maintenance workshop) andRAV (refuelling vehicle).[47]
TheGriffon EPC is effectively indistinguishable from the standard VTT Félin from the outside.[46][48] The reasoning behind this is simple: to prevent an ordinary adversary from identifying the variant, and therefore from focusing on high-value targets.[48] Differences include the protrusion created by the addition of the mast and the roof-mountedT2 Hornet Lite remote controlled weapon station incorporating a 7.62 mm machine gun and theGALIX, instead of the standardT1 model. On the other hand, the rear compartment has been redesigned to make room for a command post. Carrying 7 soldiers (1 pilot and 1 gunner at the front and 5 at the rear manning the command post), it has been designed to accommodate communications equipment, large screens, a blackboard, a printer and everything else needed for collaborative combat (vetronics, CONTACT software-defined radio, SCORPION combat information system, ANTARES optronics system, fire start detector, etc.).[46] The air-conditioning has also been reinforced to protect the on-board electronics in extreme climatic conditions.[46][48] TheGriffon EPC was qualified for service by the DGA in November 2020. 333 units are to be delivered to the French Army.[46]
As for theGriffon Sanitaire, abbreviatedGriffon SAN, it will be used for casualty care and evacuation. This variant was qualified for service by the DGA on 12 September 2022. It is equipped with a medical module, facilities for storing and integrating medical equipment, and a casualty loading system comprising a mobile table and a lifting winch. The interior configuration can accommodate seated or lying patients, with a capacity of four stretchers. The SAN features all the elements common to other Griffon variants (mobility, armament, protection and connectivity).[49] 196 units in total are to be delivered to theFrench Armed Forces Health Service and will be complemented by 135Serval SAN and 103VLTP-NP SAN vehicles.[50]
TheGriffon VOA (artillery observation vehicle) was qualified for service in June 2023. It featuresSafran's new generationPASEO Crystal high-resolution sensors suite installed on top of a telescopic mast, which integrates aninertial navigation system (derived from the company'sSigma 20 family) based onhemispherical resonator gyroscope (HRG) technology.[22][51] ThePASEO Crystal incorporates five systems: a laser rangefinder, a laser pointer, a laser designator, a TV day channel and a thermal camera providing the night channel (with their images able to be combined in low light conditions, especially during short winter days, at dawn or dusk). The optronic observation mast provides surveillance, artillery observation and designation, fire control and geolocation information, including for airstrikes with a JTAC (Joint Terminal Attack Controller).[52] The Griffon VOA is also equipped with theMURIN (Moyen de surveillance Utilisant un Radar d’observation des INtervalles;English: Interval Radar Surveillance System) ground observation radar developed byThales, which can be deployed outside the vehicle.[52][53] This variant of theGriffon will be able to spot, identify and monitor virtually anything that moves, rolls or flies within a 24 km radius and at an altitude of 500 m (from vehicles to the movements of an individual burying an IED or mine for example, and from shell bursts to helicopters up to 500 m above sea level).[54][55] 177Griffon VOA are to be delivered to the French Army in total.[56]
TheMEPAC system is to be integrated on a dedicated variant of theGriffon, designatedGriffon MEPAC. An evolution of theThales2R2M 120 mm semi-automatic mortar system, it can fire up to ten rounds per minute against targets up to 13 km away with improved accuracy; the vehicle can then set itself in motion while closing the roof hatches at the same time.[45] As for shells, two new developments are expected; theMURAT 120 mm reduced-risk ammunition, offering a 12% increase in maximum range with no loss of effectiveness, and a metric-precision ammunition with a 15 km range.[57] As it can be put into road position as quickly as into battery, it is designed to avoid counter-battery fire more easily, while providing better protection for the crew. TheGriffon MEPAC, like theGriffon EPC, is virtually indistinguishable from theGriffon VTT Félin from the outside. Whereas the latter is designed to carry 10 fully-equipped soldiers, theMEPAC will accommodate a reduced crew of four artillerymen, namely the pilot, the gun leader and two soldiers operating the MEPAC. The chief will switch from the front of the vehicle during the driving phase, to a position at the rear to command the battery and firing.[58] Reducing the crew from five as originally intended to four has also freed up considerable space for additional ammunition. The turntable-mounted mortar can be rotated through 360° and has a hydraulic-powered elevation range of 40° to 85°. TheGriffon MEPAC will be equipped with a computerizedfire-control system, automatic laying system and inertial navigation system fromThales as well as aT2 Hornet Lite remotely-operated turret armed with a 7.62 mmmachine gun and fitted with theGALIX.[45] It will also be integrated into theATLAS (Automatisation des Tirs et Liaisons de l’Artillerie Sol/sol;English: Automated firing and ground-to-ground artillery links) artillery system, while retaining the option of firing in degraded mode (tube movement by manual pump, orientation by goniometer, manual loading from roof hatches and firing under manual control).[57][45] 54 units are to be delivered to the French Army from the fourth quarter of 2023 to 2027, with a prototype scheduled for delivery as soon as 2020, and qualification testing expected to take place between 2022 and 2023.[58]
TheGriffon NRBC is still under study as of 2021. Its development is deemed complex as the aim is a full-fledged weapon system dedicated to CBRN countermeasures. It is therefore not scheduled for delivery before 2025.[59] The vehicles will equip the2nd Dragoon Regiment. 25 units are expected to be delivered.[60][59]
France (1,872 planned, 723 delivered)
Belgium (498)
Luxembourg (16)
| Armoured cavalry | |
|---|---|
| Artillery, transport and combat engineering | |
| French Army Light Aviation | |