France receives first 32-tonne VBCI vehicles
The French defense procurement agency, DGA, has taken delivery of the first three 32-tonne VBCI wheeled armoured vehicles, the Ministry of Defence announced on 9 April.
The three 32-tonne variants of the VBCI will be used for training the crew of the 1st African Rifle regiment stationed at Canjuers in southeastern France.
The DGA certified the modification of the armoured vehicles in October 2014. This modification will increase the maximum authorised weight of the vehicle by three tonnes. As a result, the vehicle can accommodate additional protection equipment needed to safely operate on operational theatres where troops are deployed.
Another four 32-tonne VBCI variants will be delivered by July 2015 and deliveries will continue after that at a rate of four per month. A total of 95 upgraded vehicles are planned to be delivered by the summer of 2017.
More from Land Warfare
-
Lockheed Martin signs Australian air and missile defence system deal
Air 6500 Phase 1, worth AU$500 million (US$326 million), will result in a sovereign system that can provide greater situational awareness and help to defend against hostile aircraft and missiles. It will sit at the core of Australia’s Integrated Air and Missile Defence programme.
-
Rheinmetall wins communications deal that could be worth up to €400 million
The systems have been purchased under a special fund which has already been tapped into for the purchase of 60 CH-47F Block II Chinook helicopters worth up to €8 billion (US$8.7 billion) and thousands of Rheinmetall Caracal airmobile special operations vehicles worth €1.9 billion.
-
The Philippines looks to Israel for military equipment amid South China Sea tensions
The southeast Asian country has been enhancing its military readiness by procuring advanced Israeli defence platforms and systems.
-
NSPA signs new helmet system deal and agreement for C-UAS systems
The Caiman helmet has been designed to be scalable for dynamic operations with mission-specific accessories and can incorporate electronics, communications headsets and other critical equipment.