Arquus delivers more VAB SAN MEDEVAC armored vehicles with improved resistance to IEDs.

The French Directorate for Armament (DGA) has received 3 medical VAB (VAB SAN) armored vehicles enhanced to the "counter-IED evolution" standard. So far, 14 such vehicles have been received out of the 30 ordered. They offer better protection of personnel against IEDs and better work ergonomics for medical teams.
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VAB SAN enhanced to the CIED standard (Picture source: Twitter account of DGA)

The VAB SAN is implemented by medical teams supporting all types of tactical, melee, support or logistics sub-groups. Some 229 VABs in the sanitary version are in service with the French army. The VAB underwent several modifications in 1998: an automatic gearbox, new suspension and/or additional armor. The Afghan conflict led to significantly improved protection against IEDs, with the creation of an ULTIMA version weighing 17 tons, 4 tons more than the initial version. However, these developments only concerned vehicles intended for infantry and engineers.

The constraints of the VAB SAN are multiple: crampedness and lack of ergonomics, noise, reduced speed, poor protection against IEDs, lack of communications, air conditioning systems and power supply. The shortcomings are being corrected with the enhanced version of the VAB SAN delivered by Arquus.

The renewal of the Army's armored vehicles, via the SCORPION program, will provide the Armed Forces Health Service (SSA, Service de Santé des Armées) with new vehicles, in particular VBMR Griffons and Servals. But this will not happen immediately, the first medicalized Griffon being expected in 2023. So, to meet the most immediate needs, particularly in external theatres, specific solutions have been found, such as the medicalization, in Mali, of Armored Infantry Combat Vehicles (VBCI) and VAB Ultima, thanks to sanitary kits developed by the Technical Section of the Army (STAT, Section Technique de l'Armée de Terre) and the Central Directorate of the SSA.

Pending the replacement of all VABs, which will be effective in 2030, the SSA and the Army have launched a modernization program for VAB SANs the "counter-IED evolution" [EVOL CIED] version of the sanitary VAB.

VAB SAN enhanced to the CIED standard (Picture source: Twitter account of DGA)

VAB SAN enhanced to the CIED standard (Picture source: Twitter account of DGA)