French MoD publishes list of combat vehicles and military equipment in service with French Army

The French Ministry of Armed Forces published a report, about the French Armed Forces and their equipment for the year 2021, in this article, a detailed list with the number and types of main battle tanks, tracked and wheeled armored vehicles, artillery systems, drones and helicopters currently in service with the French Army.
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French army Leclerc Main Battle Tank at the front and LRU Multiple Launch Rocket System at the back of the picture. (Picture source Army Recognition)

For several years, France has launched a program to modernize its armed forces including the Scorpion program. An inter-ministerial commission approved the start of the Scorpion research and development phase in 2010, and subsequently, in 2014, French Defense Minister Jean-Yves le Drian announced Phase 1 of the Scorpion program, in line with commitments made in the 2014-2019 defense budget planning law known as “LPM” (Loi de Programmation Militaire). Finally, in 2016, the French government pledged $6.7 billion over 11 years for the Army Scorpion modernization program (Defense Industry Daily, 2019).

The Scorpion Program has been deemed as the most ambitious military program in the recent history of French land forces. It consists of a $6.8 billion multi-company modernization effort aimed at replacing all French frontline fighting vehicles, with improved platforms linked with new and unified communications and battlefield management systems (BMS)

Incorporated into the land forces modernization plan of 2020, the Scorpion program aims at renewing, from 2018 onwards, the median contact battle capabilities of two platforms, namely the Multi-role armored vehicles and Armored Reconnaissance and Combat vehicle, (in French VBMR and EBRC) and the unique combat information system known as “SCORPION” (SICS).

Since the launching of the Scorpion program, the French Army has planned to acquire 1872 Griffon VBMR 6x6 APCs (Armored Personnel Carrier), 978 Serval 4x4 armored vehicle, 300 Jaguar 6x6 Combat - Reconnaissance and Combat Armored Vehicles, 200 upgraded Leclerc XLR Main Battle Tanks, 625 VBCI 8x8 IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle) and 2,038 VBMR-L, a new 4x4 wheeled armored vehicle in different configurations.

French Army Mistral surface-to-air launcher unit mounted on an ACMAT 4x4 light tactical vehicle. (Picture source Army Recognition)

Military Equipment and combat vehicles in service with the French Army:

Main Battle Tanks:

- 222 Leclerc MBTs

Tracked Armored Vehicles

- 87 VHM and BV206L All-Terrain APCs
- 17 DCL (Armored Recovery Vehicle based on Leclerc tank chassis
- 27 AMX-30D Armored Recovery Vehicle based on AMX-30 tracked chassis
- 50 EBG Armored Engineer Vehicle based on Leclerc tank chassis

Wheeled armored vehicles:

- 247 AMX-10 RCR 6x6 armored vehicle armed with one 105mm cannon
- 628 VBCI 8x8 Armored Infantry Fighting Vehicles
- 2,500 VAB in different configurations, 4x4 armored vehicles
- 1,149 PVP Light 4x4 armored vehicles
- 1,418 VBL / VBL Mk2 4x4 light armored vehicle
- 14 VBHP also called Aravis, high protected 4x4 armored vehicles
- 4 Buffalo wheeled engineer vehicles
- 260 Griffon 6x6 armored vehicles

Wheeled vehicles:

- 898 PPT Logistic trucks
- 492 Maastech Unprotected 4x4 light tactical vehicles
- 2,202 VT4 4x4 light tactical vehicles

Artillery:

- 32 AU-F1 155mm tracked self-propelled howitzers
- 76 CAESAR 6x6 155mm self-propelled howitzers
- 12 TR-F1 155mm towed howitzers
- 132 mortars including LLR 81mm and RT-F-1 120mm
- 13 LRU MLRS Multiple Launch Rocket Systems

Anti-Tank Missile Systems:

- 343 Milan
- 287 MMP
- 630 Eryx

Helicopters and Aircraft

- 86 Gazelle helicopters
- 24 Cougar helicopters
- 32 SA-330 Puma helicopters
- 8 Caracal helicopters
- 48 NH90 Caiman helicopters
- 18 Fennec helicopters
- 8 TBM 700 aircraft
- 5 Pilatus aircraft

Air Defense Missiles:

- 196 Mistral surface-to-air launcher unit

Drones:

- SDT in development of new tactical drone
- 30 SDMR small reconnaissance drones
- 6 DROGEN engineer drones
- 579 nano-drones
- 124 micro-drones