French 3rd Engineer Regt participated to VBMR-L Serval APC mock-up manufacture.

As part of the French Scorpion project (in which Belgium is also very involved), a combat group of the 4th Combat Company of the 3rd Engineer Regiment participated very recently in the modelling made to size of the light multi-role armored vehicle - light (VBMR-L) called "Serval". This 17-ton 4x4 armored vehicle is the little brother of the 6x6 VBMR Griffon. This mission was carried out to the benefit of the Technical Section of the Army (STAT).

Small-size mockup of the VBMR-L "Serval" displayed at Eurosatory 2018 (Picture source: Army Recognition)

During the 16th edition of the Summer University, in 2018, Nexter presented the model, made to size, of the future VBMR lightweight 4x4 multi-purpose armored vehicle "Serval". It will be commissioned in 2022 to replace part of the Arquus VAB and VBL fleet of the French army. On February 12, 2018, the Defense Ministry notified the contract for the new vehicle to Nexter and Texelis.

The lightweight VBMR, weighing 17 tons, has two crewmen and eight equipped infantrymen. It will be made in different versions: troop transport, reconnaissance, transmission, electronic warfare vehicle, medical evacuation. The Serval VBMR-Light will receive the Scorpion Information and Battle Information System (SICS).

The reason for the mock-up consists of ensuring that the locations provided in the Serval allow the carriage of all the lots and engineer equipment for 24-hour missions. The 4th CCG group was able to provide technical and operational advice to the engineers in charge of this vehicle and to identify ergonomic and stowage matters. During the mission, the group made them aware of the importance of their remarks by having some equipment, such as demining equipment, tried out by industrialists and ergonomists by putting them in the situation.

VBMR-L "Serval" (Illustration source: Nexter)