PARIS - Frence Defense Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, announced on December 5 that a EUR5 billion ($6.1 billion) contract for the French Army's Scorpion vehicle and communications modernization program had been awarded to a consortium consisting of Nexter, Renault Trucks Defense (RTD) and Thales.
The contract finally triggers the ambitious Scorpion program, which involves the upgrade and/or replacement the bulk of the French Army's aging ground vehicle fleet with around 2,600 new armored vehicles. Each of these vehicles will be fitted with a single networked combat command-and-control system (SIC-S Information and Combat System) that will provide the French Army's Inter-Arms Tactical Group (GTIA) with a high level of connectivity between air and land assets and thus improve French Army combat performance with allies in operational theaters.
The Scorpion project foresees this new 2,600-vehicle fleet as being part of an interconnected network (the Systeme d'Information et de Combat-Scorpion, or SIC-S Information and Combat System) with tanks, Tiger helicopters, and ground troops supplied with FELIN soldier systems.
Scorpion has suffered from delays due to budgetary pressures. These have forced the program to be pushed back three years, while the original unit purchase figures have, as a result, been downsized.
Although the announcement by Le Drian breathes life into the project the actual EUR752 million development contract for the VBMR (Vehicule Blinde Median a Roues) multirole armored vehicle and EBRC (Engin Blindé de Reconnaissance et de Combat) armored reconnaissance and combat vehicle has yet to be signed by the government. However, this is considered a mere formality that will be concluded by the Defense Ministry shortly. The Development Study will actually provide the program with necessary momentum, pushing forward this 10-year initial stage.
This first phase involves six elements: a 24.5-ton heavy VBMR, a 10-ton light VBMR, the EBRC, the modernization of all the French Army Leclerc main battle tanks (Renovation de Leclerc), the SIC-S development and implementation, and a training simulation capability in the vehicles.
Under the current program outlines 92 six-wheel VBMR vehicles - to be referred to as the "Griffon" in Army service - will be delivered to the French Army by 2019, with the first batch of four-wheel light VBMRs following in 2021. The total planned VBMR purchase involves 2,080 vehicles, with 1,722 coming in the heavy variant and the remaining 358 in the lighter version. Once in French Army service the heavy VBMR is to replace the durable VAB (Vehicule de L'Avant Blinde) troop carrier, the average age of which is 40 years. The light VBMR will replace the 4x4 Vehicule Blinde Leger (VBL) scout cars and the 4x4 PVP (Petit Vehicule Protégé - light protected armored vehicle).
Meanwhile, the first phase of the Scorpion program will also see 110 EBRC fighting vehicles - which will be referred to as the "Jaguar" in French service - delivered to the Army. The EBRC will replace the AMX 10RC, Sagaie ERC 90 and VAB HOT armored reconnaissance vehicles. It will feature a modular design allowing it to be fitted with adaptable mission kits.
The bulk of VBMR and EBRC vehicles will arrive under the program's second phase.
