At Eurosatory 2024, held in Paris from 17 to 21 June, France’s Arquus launched two new vehicles: the MAV Rx 4×4 multi role armoured vehicle and the Drailer unmanned ground vehicle (UGV).
The MAV Rx, a 19-tonne armoured 4×4 equipped with independent wheel suspension and a 400 hp engine coupled to a seven-speed automatic transmission, features a high level of protection to NATO STANAG 4569 and can carry 10 personnel, for whom boarding and disembarking are facilitated by electrically assisted doors and a rear ramp.
Emmanuel Levacher, president and CEO of Arquus, explained at Eurosatory on 18 June that the MAV Rx was designed to address a perceived customer requirement for a well-protected vehicle that still retained a high degree of mobility while also being able to accept heavier payloads of up to two tonnes, allowing it to carry a medium-calibre weapon system or counter-unmanned aerial vehicle (C-UAV) system, for example. The MAV Rx presented at Eurosatory was fitted with a John Cockerill Defense 25 mm Cockerill Protected Weapon System (CPWS) turret.
Other features of the vehicle include a centralised tyre-inflation system and run-flat capability, CBRN filtration, a fire extinguishing system, air conditioning and heating designed to accommodate all climatic environments and the Arquus Battlenet C4 system, which ensures the connectivity of the vehicle’s various systems while reducing the crew’s cognitive load.
The Drailer, meanwhile, is the company’s first robotic vehicle and is teleoperable from a distance of up to 2 km. While designed to be towed to the area of operations (hence the name, which is a contraction of ‘drone’ and ‘trailer’, it is electrically powered but also features a diesel-powered range extender that can fully recharge its 14 kWh battery.
With four-wheel drive and steering, the Drailer is well suited to negotiating difficult terrain, being capable of tackling gradients of up to 60% and side slopes of 30%. It has a maximum road speed of 90 km/h but can also travel offroad at up to 40 km/h.
With a payload of up to 700 kg, the Drailer is applicable to numerous configurations, according to Arquus, including for direct and indirect fire support, electronic warfare, route clearing, the C-UAV mission, or as a radio relay vehicle, for example. The Drailer shown at Eurosatory 2024 was fitted with an Arquus Hornet remote-control weapon station armed with a .50 cal M2HB machine gun.
Meanwhile, Levacher also noted on 18 June that Arquus, which is currently owned by the Volvo Group, is “very likely going to change the shareholding”, explain that Arquus “will become very soon part of the John Cockerill [Defense] group, the Belgian group, because Volvo has decided to divest this activity. Not being really focused on defence, they prefer to focus on some other technologies.
“So we are going to join the John Cockerill group in a short while,” he added. “It’s not fully closed, but it is ongoing and we are now in the final process.”
Arquus had a turnover of EUR 600 million in 2023 and has a workforce of around 1,200.
