With purchasing Arquus, John Cockerill Defense now able to market complete light combat vehicles.

John Cockerill Defense is globally known for its remarkable manned and unmanned turrets armed with guns ranging from 25 up to 120mm, while Arquus is a top-class designer and manufacturer of combat-proven wheeled APCs and combat vehicles. By purchasing Arquus from Volvo Group for EUR 300 million+, John Cockerill becomes able to propose – and later design – an extended range of light wheeled combat vehicles (not tanks) adapted not only to the present markets of both manufacturers but to a wider array of potential customers located in countries where some environments make the use of medium and heavy tanks too limited, if not impossible. Hence the prototype of an Arquus VAB Mk.3 fitted with a Cockerill 1030 (30mm) turret to illustrate the technical cooperation.
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Having purchased Arquus, John Cockerill Defense becomes able to market complete combat vehicles, not only turrets (Picture source: Army Recognition)

Embodying the essence of the Cockerill brand, John Cockerill Defense's weapon systems combine high firepower with lightweight, ensuring performance, protection, and air transportability. These modular systems are designed to evolve at a reasonable cost to meet the needs of their users.

Let us underline that John Cockerill Defense already made a breakthrough in the light combat vehicle segment with its stunning i-X fitted with a 20mm retractable turret. This unparalleled war machine appears particularly interesting and promising, namely because the Belgian Ministry of Defense expressed its plan to join the French army project called VBAE (Véhicule Blindé d’Aide à l’Engagement, which can be approximately translated into Armored Vehicle for Support to Engagement), a light, very mobile and lightly armed 4x4 armored vehicle. Arquus and its Scarabee may be considered a relevant starting stage for this project. Even if JCD’s i-X design makes it appear more adequate to Middle East markets, for instance, various components are undisputably relevant for a future VBAE whose description is not yet finalized. Now that JCD and Arquus are about to be united under the same entity, who knows what outcome will become possible, depending on various integration levels envisaged by Cockerill’s management.

John Cockerill Defense already designed a first and unparalleled combat vehicle in the form of the i-X (Picture source: Army Recognition)

Also, the various Hornet RWS designed and manufactured by Arquus’ subsidiary usefully complete JCD’s range of turrets in the lower/lighter segment.

To give an idea of some various combinations that will become possible thanks to the purchase of Arquus by John Cockerill, here is a list of the products currently offered by both manufacturers.

John Cockerill Defense
Turrets: Cockerill CPWS Gen 2, Cockerill 1030, 3000 Series, LCTS 90MP, CSE 90LP, Tank Boat and i-X. These turrets remain available for fitting on an unlimited range of vehicles, including tracked ones,as namely demonstrated with the Turkish-Indonesian Kaplan–Harimau Medium Tank fitted with a Cockerill 3105 turret.

Arquus
Vehicles: Sherpa Light, Fortress Mk.2, Bastion, Sabre, Higuard, Patsas, VAB Mk.3, Scarabee, and VLRA (not an armored vehicle).
Remotely Controlled Weapon Stations: Hornet Light, Hornet.

Considering that the CaMo (Capacité Motorisée, Motorized Capability) programme already integrates French and Belgian army units that will be equipped with the same Griffon and Jaguar vehicles, both supplied by Arquus, and given that the chassis of the CAESAR NG self-propelled howitzers purchased by Belgium will be produced by Arquus, needless to say how interesting the purchase of Arquus by John Cockerill is!

The commercial success met with the CAESAR self-propelled howitzer in various parts of the world and the operational achievement assessed in Ukraine against the Russian invader also represent a major asset that will fall in JCD’s basket… which will need a close industrial and commercial cooperation with Nexter KNDS, thus also Germany, as this company is the designer and manufacturer of the 155mm howitzer that arms the CAESAR.

The maintenance of thousands of French army vehicles produced by Arquus is also a major source of income. Hence, Army Recognition comes to think that without the close links binding the French and Belgian armies, the purchase of Arquus by John Cockerill might have been more difficult. Now that this unprecedented operation (a Belgian company buying a French major one) is on track, a bright future appears almost certain.

John Cockerill has obviously taken some commercial ‘’insurance’’ about the expected business before cutting the deal with Volvo Group for the purchase of Arquus. The forthcoming months will be of the utmost interest to the new entity, with high expectations in many different fields.

John Cockerill Defense markets a wide range of turrets intended to equip an unlimited range of wheeled and tracked combat vehicles (Picture source: Army Recognition)

Defense News January 2024