French Ministry of Defense ordered 1,200 Arquus VT4 light tactical vehicles.

The French Ministry of Defense has announced Thursday, September 6, 2018, the signature for the second order of 1,200 light tactical vehicle VT4 manufactured by the French Company ACMAT a subdivision of French Company Arquus, formerly Renault Trucks Defense.

ArquusS VT4 4x4 light tactical vehicle at Eurosatory 2018, the defense exhibition which took place in France,last June  (Picture source: Army Recognition)

The new VT4 will replace the old 4x4 light tactical vehicle Peugeot P4 in service with the French armed forces since many years. In 2016, ACMAT has received an order for 3,700 4x4 vehicles for the French army. The first vehicle tested by the French was called ALTV SW (ACMAT Light Tactical Vehicle – Station Wagon), a militarized SUV based on the 4x4 civilian vehicle Ford Everest. The VT4 is a 4x4 light tactical, multi-purpose, non-protected vehicle based on a militarized version of the civilian SUV Ford Everest. It is designed to be used as command and liaison vehicle with the capacity to transport 5 military personnel.

The new VT4 will manufactured by the by Arquus’ industrial plant in Saint-Nazaire. According to Arquus, a first batch of 500 vehicles will be delivered by the end of 2018. The production of the second order will start in the beginning of 2019.

The VT4 is produced in two versions: standard 1 and 2. The Standard 1 vehicle offers a basic package of the Standard 2 specifications. The additional capabilities offered by the Standard 2 include a pre-equipment package enabling the integration of communication systems capabilities required for overseas deployments.

The VT4 has a combat weight of 3,500kg including a payload of 900 kg. The vehicle is motorized with 150 hp. Diesel offering the possibility to run at a maximum road speed of 140 km/h with a maximum cruising range of 900 km.