AS VBMR ENTERS SERVICE, VAST QUANTITIES OF SURPLUS M11 VBLS WILL ENTER THE MARKET
SANDY HOOK CT - In December 2014, the French Ministry of Defense announced that it had signed a $6.1 billion contract with Renault Trucks Defense, Thales and Nexter for the fulfillment of the French Army's ambitious Scorpion next-generation vehicle requirement.
The Scorpion program is intended to achieve nothing less than a complete transformation of the French Army's light tactical vehicle, armored reconnaissance vehicle, and wheeled armored personnel carrier inventories over the course of the next several decades.
The MoD has designated these two new concepts the Griffon Multi-Role Armored Vehicle (VBMR) and Jaguar Reconnaissance and Combat Armored Vehicle (EBRC). The VBMR family of vehicles will consist of two primary variants: a heavy 24.5-ton 6x6 model and a light 10.0-ton 4x4 version.
Although the Army had initially hoped to begin implementation of the Scorpion program several years earlier, budgetary considerations owing to the implementation of domestic austerity measures ultimately compelled the MoD and government to reduce both the scale and pace of Scorpion procurement.
On February 12, 2018, Florence Parly, France's minister of the armed forces, awarded an estimated $1.5 billion contract to the team of Nexter and Texelis for the development, production and servicing of Light VBMR troop carrier armored vehicles. The Military Planning Law covering the years 2019 through 2025 forecasts a fleet of over 2,000 Light VBMRs by 2030, including 689 slated for delivery by 2025.
The Light VBMR will replace the French Army's M11 VBL and the PVP light protected armored vehicle. While the VBL and PVP tactical vehicles will remain important assets for the French Army for the immediate future, the ubiquitous VBL will soon enter the twilight stage of its lengthy deployment with the French Army.
Although domestic French deployment of VBL series vehicles will wane over the next several decades, the vehicle is likely to remain a staple on the international export market for many years to come.
In the near term, a modest level of demand on the export market should sustain the VBL's production line.
The VBL's affordable unit cost, suitability for both conventional military and law enforcement roles, and admirable service history make it an appealing option, particularly for customers in the developing world seeking to expand or modernize their mechanized inventories.
However, new-build VBL production will soon exhibit a fairly steep and rapid reduction, owing primarily to the vast quantities of surplus VBL vehicles that will become available for export as the French Army retires its active stocks in favor of the VBMR.
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