The joint venture of Nexter and Texelis has handed over the first SERVAL 4×4 light armoured multi-role vehicles (véhicule blindé multi-rôles, VBMR) to the French Ministry of Defence. The companies have announced that a total of 70 vehicles will be delivered this year.
The French procurement agency had ordered a first batch of 364 SERVALs in early 2021. The SCORPION programme, the objective of which is to renew the French Army’s medium armoured vehicles, foresees 689 vehicles in the first phase (by 2025). By 2030, the number is to increase to 978. The SERVALs are primarily intended for light infantry units such as mountain troops and paratrooper regiments. They complement the vehicle spectrum, which also includes the GRIFFON armoured personnel carriers and the JAGUAR armoured reconnaissance and combat vehicles.
The SERVAL, which weighs around 15 tonnes, will be delivered in three main versions: Patrol, Reconnaissance and Communications Relay. Common to the vehicles are the the remote-controlled weapon station, threat detectors and the combat information system (Système d’information du combat Scorpion, SICS), which integrates the SERVAL with the SCORPION collaborative combat system.
GWH
