Image: Nexter Griffon: transport, fire support and more At present, the three known variants are the armoured patrol vehicle, tactical communication node, and surveillance, acquisition, intelligence, acknowledgement versions.
The vehicle will come in 16 different variants, all of which are in simultaneous development, meaning they can be ordered and delivered as required. By then the French Armed Forces will be operating around 2,038 of the vehicles, replacing two-thirds of the existing VABs. With contracts signed in 2018, the first Servals will be delivered in 2022 and roll-out will continue through to 2032. Although this makes the vehicle more expensive, its manufacturers – Nexter-Texelis partnership – say it also makes it more blast-resistant. Named after Operation Serval, France’s military operation in Mali in 2013-14, the vehicle is set to become the ‘workhorse’ of the French Army delivering personnel across massive distances, at speed.Ĭapable of carrying a squad of eight, including a driver and a gunner, the vehicle features a V-shaped hull for increased blast resistance which is formed fully out of aluminium. Alongside the Griffon, it will replace the existing fleet of Véhicule de l’avant blindé (VABs), which have been in service since the 1970s.
The Serval 4×4 is one of the most ambitious acquisitions for the French Armed Forces.
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