Griffon VBMR

6x6 wheeled multi-role armored vehicle EBMR Scorpion France

The Griffon VBMR (Multi-Role Armoured Vehicle) is a new development of a 6x6 Multi-Role armored vehicle for the French Army under the program EBMR Scorpion (Engin Blindé Multi-Rôle - Armoured Multi-roles Vehicles). The vehicle was designed and developed by a consortium of French Companies including Nexter Systems, Arquus (formerly Renault Trucks Defense), and Thales. The Griffon program will also include the French Company Safran for optronics of fire control and observation devices. The vehicle will be used mainly as an armored personnel carrier but six versions of the Griffon are planned, Armored Personnel Carrier, Command Post, Ambulance, Artillery Observation, Engineer, and Recovery. In December 2014, On the occasion of its visit in the 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade Artillery of Varces (Isère), Jean-Yves LE DRIAN, French Minister of Defence, handed the EBMR (Armoured Multi-roles vehicles) market to the CEOs of the GME (temporary consortium) formed by the French companies Nexter Systems, Renault Trucks Defense and Thales. Prepared by the Armament Procurement Agency (DGA), this market plans the development, manufacturing, and support of the EBMR of the SCORPION program. Under the EBMR contract, the Multi-Role Armoured Vehicle GRIFFON will replace the VAB 4x4 armored personnel carrier currently in service with the French Army. The EBMR program includes the delivery of 1,722 Griffon armored vehicles to the French Army which could be started in 2018. A total of 780 vehicles are expected to be delivered by 2025. The main role of the Griffon VBMR is to provide the French Army with a new armored personnel carrier with a high level of protection and mobility. At Eurosatory 2016, real size mockup of the French Army Griffon VBMR was presented for the first time. In April 2017, the French army procurement agency (DGA) announced the first order of 319 Griffon Multi-Role Armoured Vehicles. On 22 June 2017, Belgium's defense ministry approved a plan to purchase 60 jaguar and 417 Griffon combat vehicles worth US$1.2 bn. On October 26, 2018, the Belgian Council of Ministers approved the proposal of the Belgian Minister of Defense to award the purchase of new combat vehicles Jaguar EBRC (reconnaissance wheeled armored vehicle) and Griffon VBMR ( wheeled multi-role armored vehicle) to France for the benefit of the Belgian Land Component. In July 2019, Mrs. Florence Parly, French Minister of Defense, has visited the French armored vehicles manufacturer Nexter in its Satory plant for the official reception of the first 6x6 multi-role armored vehicles designated VBMR Griffon. On the 24th of December 2019, the temporary company grouping EBMR received an inspection report for the delivery of the 92nd VBMR-GRIFFON 6x6 wheeled multi-role armored vehicle from the quality department of the French Army Defence Procurement Agency (DGA/SQ). On December 6, 2021, the GME (Groupement Momentané d'Entreprises) EBMR (engin blindé multi rôles) delivered to the French Army the 119th and last GRIFFON planned for 2021. A total 128 GRIFFONs had been submitted for verification in 2020, and 92 in 2019, making a total of 339 GRIFFONs since the notification of the TC2 conditional tranche of the EBMR contract. On May 10, 2022, France announced a new order of 302 Griffon 6x6 armored vehicles. 

Griffon VBMR variants

The Griffon VBMR will be also delivered in an ambulance, command post, artillery observation, engineer, mortar carrier, and recovery variants.