Serval deliveries to begin in 2022

French defence procurement agency DGA has ordered the first batch of Serval VBMR-L 4x4 lightweight multi-role armoured vehicles from Nexter Systems and Texelis.

Delivery of the 364 vehicles will begin in 2022, the French MoD confirmed on 18 January. It did not confirm the value of the procurement but Shephard Defence Insight estimates the unit cost of VBMR-L at €500,000-€700,000 ($468,000-$819,000).

A total of 978 Servals are being procured under the 2019-2025 Military Programming Law, as part of the wider Scorpion modernisation programme for the French Army.

The vehicle will complement the Griffon heavy multi-role armoured vehicle and replace some variants of the 4x4 VAB APC, VLRA and P4 light trucks in service with the army.

Nexter and Texelis began development of Serval in February 2018. Tests began in September 2019 and the first deliveries were made in late 2020 despite  ‘disruptions related to the [COVID-19] health crisis’, the French MoD stated.

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