French 11th Parachute Brigade to receive around 40 Arquus Grizzly reconnaissance vehicles by 2030.

In January 2016, Laurent Lagneau wrote in Opex360, the French Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) had informed Arquus about the PLFS (Poids Lourd des Forces Spéciales, Special Forces Heavyweight vehicle) program. This program aimed to replace the light reconnaissance and support vehicles (VLRA, Véhicule Léger de Reconnaissance et d'Appui) used by the units of the Special Operations Command (COS, Commandement des Opérations Spéciales).
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The Grizzly of the French army is based on the previous version of the PLFS designed and manufactured by the French company ARQUUS. (Picture source: Army Recognition)

However, the initial delivery of 25 units, designed to meet the most urgent needs, fell short of the COS's expectations. The COS reported "malfunctions" that could hinder the vehicles' operational use, leading to their return to Arquus for modifications. Despite these adjustments to the first 25 PLFS, they still failed to satisfy the COS. The specialized magazine RAIDS summarized in 2022 that "These vehicles have shown too many limitations in their deployment." Consequently, it was decided to allocate them to the commando groups of the 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade (27BIM) and the 11th Parachute Brigade (11BP) for their motorized patrols.

However, the Ministry of the Armed Forces has taken further action. During a press briefing on June 29, it was announced that the 1st Parachute Hussars Regiment (1RHP) had received its first "airborne reconnaissance and vanguard vehicles" called "Grizzly". These Grizzly vehicles were developed by Arquus and are derived from the Sherpa range. Olivia Penichou, the Defense Information and Communication Delegate [DICoD], explained that the Grizzly is designed to provide autonomous infiltration/exfiltration capabilities for gathering highly significant intelligence over several days, even in challenging and hostile environments. No information regarding the cost of this program was provided.

By 2030, the 11th Parachute Brigade (11BP) is expected to receive approximately 40 Grizzlys, even though this new vehicle is not mentioned in the capacity table of the report attached to the Military Programming Law [LPM]. Primarily, the Grizzly is intended for airborne troops, as the 2nd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment (2RPIMa) will also be equipped with around ten units, some of which will be deployed to La Réunion.

With a 5-man crew and an 11-tonne GVW, the Grizzly is based on the chassis of Arquus' Sherpa Light Special Forces. The PLFS is lighter than the standard Sherpa and the crew compartment has been adapted to carry the armament used by the French Special Forces, including a 12.7mm heavy machine gun, a 7.62mm machine gun, and anti-tank missiles. It is powered by a 265hp engine and the published road speed is around 110km/h (70mph). Armour thickness and protection levels have not been publicly disclosed.

Defense News July 2023