The French Army received 92 Griffon multi-role heavy armored vehicles (VBMR) on December 24, French defense minister Florence Parly announced on Twitter.
The minister thanked the country’s defense procurement agency DGA for enabling the timely delivery of the Griffon which are gradually replacing the army’s armored front vehicles.
While they were scheduled to start deliveries in 2018, France received the first six Griffons in July this year.
A total of 1872 VBMRs are scheduled to replace the 2,700 ABVs currently in service with the French Army.
Developed and delivered by a team composed of Nexter, Thales and Arquus, the 6×6 Griffons have a total load weight of 24 tons and have capacity for up to 10 service personnel, including the driver.
The new vehicles feature better armor, and mine and improvised explosive device protection. The Griffon is also equipped with a remotely operated machine gun that incorporates the Galix system with up to 24 mortar-like launchers for decoys and less-lethal ammunition.
France is scheduled to receive all Griffon VBMRs by 2030. The vehicles are also being acquired by Belgium under a contract announced in 2017.
