France orders more VBCI armoured vehicles

Christopher F Foss

Wednesday, 9 September, 2009

France’s Délégation Générale pour l’Armement (DGA) has awarded Nexter Systems (stand 1840) a contract for a further batch of 332 Véhicule Blindé de Combat d’Infanterie (VBCI) (8x8) infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) for the French Army.

This is the fourth contract placed by the DGA and brings the VBCI order book up to a total of 630 units, which is the latest acquisition requirement within the guidelines of the French White Paper on Defence and National Security.

The original intention was to order a total of 700 units of which 550 would be in the VCI (Véhicule de Combat d’Infanterie) and remaining 150 in the Véhicule Poste de Commandement (VPC) command post configuration.

Under the revised plan, the French Army will now receive 520 VCI (including some armed with MBDA Eryx anti-tank guided weapons and some mortar carriers) and 110 in the VPC configuration.

According to Nexter System, the VBCI programme is on schedule. So far just over 110 units have been delivered to the French Army, with production expected to run through to 2015. The first unit to be equipped with the vehicle is the 35th Infantry Regiment.

Production is undertaken at the Nexter Systems main integration facility at Roanne. Renault Trucks Defense is the main subcontractor, responsible for the diesel power pack and complete driveline of the vehicle. The standard VCI is fitted with a one-person turret armed with a stabilised 25mm M811 dual feed cannon and 7.62mm co-axial machine gun.

In the future the vehicle could be fitted with a new turret armed with a CTA International Case Telescoped Armament System. This weapon has already been mandated by the UK for two British Army programmes.

VBCI will eventually replace the current tracked AMX-10P IFV armed with an unstabilised 20mm cannon, as well as some of the Véhicule de l’Avant Blindé (VAB) (4x4) armed with only a .50 (12.7mm) M2 HB machine gun.

The AMX-10P IFV is expected to remain in service for some years; late last year Nexter Systems completed the upgrading of 108 AMX-10P IFV of the French Army.

French Army VCI fitted with one-person turret armed with stabilised 25mm cannon and day/thermal sights (photo: Nexter Systems/Yves Debay)