French Army Procurement Agency Receives Two of SERVAL 4X4 Armored Vehicles

Two new Serval 4×4 armored vehicles were delivered to the French Government Defence procurement and technology agency (Direction générale de l’armement, DGA) to conduct qualification tests. Following the delivery of the very first four Serval production vehicles on May 5, 2022, these two new Serval vehicles were delivered to the French Army and will be used to perform technical-operational evaluations in desert terrain operated by the technical section of the French army (STAT). The French Companies Nexter and Texelis deliver the first Serval 4×4 armored vehicles to the French Ministry of Defense. This first delivery of the Serval vehicles is part of a contract signed in 2018 by Nexter and Texelis with the French army for an order of 364 vehicles.

The Serval 4×4 armored vehicle is part of the Scorpion program of the French army which aims to modernize the combat capabilities of the French army around new equipment equipped with the SICS (Système d’information du combat Scorpion – Combat Information System Scorpion) information system. The Serval is one of the four new armored vehicles including the Griffon, the MEPAC and the Jaguar developed within the framework of the Scorpion armament program. The SICS allows to digitally share all the tactical information available on the battlefield to all vehicles of the French army, and in particular the positions of the units thanks to the location of friends via “blue force tracking”.

Complementing the heavier Griffon armoured vehicle, the Véhicule Blindé Multi-Rôle Léger Serval (English: “Lightweight Multirole Armored Vehicle Serval”) or VBMR-L Serval is also intended as a replacement for the VAB. 4-wheeled and designed to operate in areas of contact with the enemy, it is particularly maneuverable and will primarily equip infantry units of light brigades such as the 11th Airborne Brigade and the 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade. The contract for the French Army was awarded in February 2018, which included funding for 489 units by 2025, reaching 978 vehicles by 2030. 4 units were delivered as of May 2022. Furthermore, 1060 additional Serval VLTP P segment haut (multipurpose light tactical vehicles) will also be purchased by 2033.

The Serval is a 4×4 armored vehicle that has a weight of 15 to 17 tons depending on the version. The vehicle is fitted with equipment common to all Scorpion vehicles including a remotely controlled weapon station, threats detectors as well as the SICS information system. The Serval has a standard design for a modern 4×4 armored vehicle with the engine at the front, the crew in the middle, and the troop’s compartment at the rear. It will be able to carry, in addition to the two crew members, up to eight men equipped with the Félin system. The Serval will be fitted with a remote-controlled weapon station that can be armed with a 7.62 mm, 12.7 mm machine, or 40 mm automatic grenade launcher.