Future armored vehicle Griffon of the Belgian army at National Day Military Parade.

The future armored vehicle of the Belgian army called Griffon will be the star of the Belgian National Day military parade that will take place on July 21, 2019 in the center of Brussels. The Griffon VBMR (Multi-Role Armored Vehicle) is a new development of 6x6 Multi-Role armored vehicle for the French Army under the program VBMR / EBMR Scorpion (Engin Blindé Multi-Rôle - Armoured Multi-roles Vehicles).

Griffon 6x6 armored vehicle in APC Armored Personnel Carrier variant at the rehearsal for the Belgian National Day military parade, July 18, 2019. (Picture source Army Recognition)

The Belgian Council of Ministers of October 25, 2018, approved the signing of an intergovernmental agreement with France concerning the establishment of a strategic partnership in the field of land mobility under the CaMo program. French Company Nexter will deliver 382 Griffon 6x6 multi-role wheeled armored vehicles (VBMR) and 60 Jaguar 6x6 wheeled armored reconnaissance and combat vehicles to the Belgian army.

To respond to the CaMo (Capacité Motorisé) program of the Belgian army, the French Company Nexter in collaboration with the French Company Thales and ARQUUS will supply Griffon and Jaguar combat vehicles to Belgium.

In parallel, the French Company Nexter has signed partnership agreements with several Belgian companies. It is in this context that the final assembly of the VBMR Griffon multi-role wheeled armored vehicles and EBRC Jaguar wheeled armored reconnaissance and combat vehicles will be done by CMI Defense in Belgium and that the remotely operated weapon station of the Belgian vehicle Griffon will be produced by FN Herstal. MECAR, the Belgian Nexter Group subsidiary, will be in charge of producing part of the ammunition.

The Griffon layout is standard with the power-pack at the front, the crew in the middle and the troops' compartment at the rear. The Griffon will have a weight of around 24,500 kg. and has been designed to offer a high level of off-road performance and a high level of ballistic protection through its modular armor system (up to NATO STANAG 4569 Level 4) that provides a ballistic protection against firing of small arms 14.5×114mm AP / B32 at 200 meters with 911 m/s and shell splinters at 30 m of the vehicle and mine protection 10 kg of mine explosion under the center of the hull and the wheels.

In APC version, the Griffon can accommodate 11 military personnel including driver, commander, gunner and 8 infantrymen. The internal layout of the vehicle has been designed to offer large space and comfort for the crew and the troops. For the Belgian army, the vehicle will be delivered in different configurations.

The Belgian contract for the purchase of Griffon and Jaguar armored vehicles will cost around €1.6 billion and the first vehicles will be delivered in 2025.