Nexter Systems (formerly known as GIAT Industries or ''Groupement des Industries de l'Armée de Terre'', Army Industries Group) is a French
government-owned
State ownership, also called government ownership and public ownership, is the ownership of an industry, asset, or enterprise by the state or a public body representing a community, as opposed to an individual or private party. Public ownersh ...
weapon
A weapon, arm or armament is any implement or device that can be used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime, law enforcement, ...
s manufacturer, based in
Roanne
Roanne (; frp, Rouana; oc, Roana) is a commune in the Loire department, central France.
It is located northwest of Lyon on the river Loire. It has an important Museum, the ''Musée des Beaux-arts et d'Archéologie Joseph-Déchelette'' (Fre ...
,
Loire
The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhôn ...
.
Group organization
The Nexter group is divided in several smaller entities, with the main one being Nexter Systems. The sub-companies are:
* Nexter Munitions
* Nexter Mechanics
* Nexter Electronics
* Nexter Robotics
* Nexter Training
* OptSys
* NBC Sys
* Euro-Shelter
* Mecar
* Simmel Difesa
History
The GIAT group was founded in 1973 by combining the industrial assets of the technical direction of Army weapons of the
French Ministry of Defense. The company was nationalized in 1991. On 22 September 2006 GIAT became the core of the new company Nexter.
For many years GIAT struggled to turn a profit. The company was operated at a loss. A 2001 report by the ''
Cour des Comptes
The ''Cour des Comptes'' ("Court of Accounts") is France's supreme audit institution, under French law an administrative court. As such, it is independent from the legislative and executive branches of the French Government. However, the 1946 an ...
'' and a 2002 report by the
National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the rep ...
described the situation as critical. In April 2004 the board of directors presented the public with a financial statement showing a profit of several hundred million Euros. This was mainly due to increased export sales, and the modernization of the
Leclerc Leclerc may refer to:
* E.Leclerc, a French hypermarket chain
* Leclerc (surname), a French surname
** Arthur Leclerc (born 2000), Monégasque racing driver
** Charles Leclerc (born 1997), Monégasque Formula One driver
** Charles Leclerc (genera ...
Main Battle Tank (MBT) and several other armored platforms. Sales to the UAE however were accomplished with the payment of $200 million to intermediaries.
In 2006, the THL-20 gun turret was selected by
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is an Indian state-owned aerospace and defence company, headquartered in Bangalore, India. Established on 23 December 1940, HAL is one of the oldest and largest aerospace and defence manufacturers in the worl ...
for use on the
HAL Light Combat Helicopter
The HAL Prachand (IPA: prəcəɳɖ, lit.''"Fierce"'') is an Indian multi-role, light attack helicopter designed and manufactured by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) under project LCH. It has been ordered by the Indian Air Force and the ...
, incorporating the 20 mm
M621 cannon
The M621 is a 20 mm automatic cannon of French design, developed by Nexter as on-board armament for armored vehicles, aircraft, helicopters and small coastal vessels of the French Navy.
Variants THL 20
Turreted cannon for helicopters.
POD ...
.
["Missile Mirage", '']Aviation Week & Space Technology
''Aviation Week & Space Technology'', often abbreviated ''Aviation Week'' or ''AW&ST'', is the flagship magazine of the Aviation Week Network. The weekly magazine is available in print and online, reporting on the aerospace, defense and aviatio ...
'', January 1, 2007.
Nexter has a joint venture
CTA International
CTA International is an equal-shares joint venture company between defence companies Nexter and BAE Systems. CTAI is based in Bourges, France, and has been established to develop and manufacture case telescoped weapons and ammunition. The compan ...
with
BAE Systems to develop and manufacture case telescoped weapon systems and ammunition of 40 mm calibre.
Nexter continues to produce several former GIAT small arms, cannon, and anti-armour weapons. One such weapon is the
Wasp 58
The Wasp 58 is a 58-mm rocket launcher antitank weapon developed in France in the late 1980s. The weapon was, originally, privately developed by the French firm Luchaire SA, subsidiary of GIAT.
History
In the early 1980s, Luchaire's sales d ...
, a low cost, one man antiarmour/assault weapon system.
Merger with KMW
In 2015, Nexter and Krauss-Maffei merged under a single structure. The new
KMW+Nexter Defense Systems (KNDS) will be the European leader of terrestrial defense with more than 6,000 employees. The supervisory board appointed the new CEO of Nexter Systems, Stéphane Mayer, and the chairman of the executive board of KMW, Frank Haun, as CEOs of the holding company.
Nexter Systems and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann have completed their association
. nexter-group.fr. Retrieved 10 June 2016
Products
Nexter design and manufactures Military protected vehicles for the French military
The French Armed Forces (french: Forces armées françaises) encompass the Army, the Navy, the Air and Space Force and the Gendarmerie of the French Republic. The President of France heads the armed forces as Chief of the Armed Forces.
France ...
and other international militaries
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
:
* The Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé
The Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé or VAB (literally meaning "Armoured Forward Vehicle"; but more appropriately translated: "Armoured Vanguard Vehicle") is a French armoured personnel carrier and support vehicle designed and manufactured by Renault ...
(VAB) armoured personnel carrier;
* The Nexter Aravis
The Aravis is an infantry mobility vehicle developed and built by French company Nexter. An order for 15 Aravis vehicles was placed by the Délégation Générale pour l'Armement in April 2009 for use by the French Army as a reconnaissance and e ...
- Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle;
* The Nexter Titus
The Titus is an infantry mobility vehicle developed and built by Nexter.
Design
The Titus is based on a Tatra chassis.
Operators
* Albanian Land Force : "2-16" vehicles are currently trialed and to enter service soon.
* Czech Army : 62 vehicl ...
wheeled and mine protected vehicle;
* The VBMR Griffon
The Véhicule Blindé Multi-Rôle Griffon (English: ''Multirole Armoured Vehicle Griffon'') or VBMR Griffon is a French multi-purpose armoured personnel carrier developed and manufactured by Nexter in cooperation with Arquus and Thales. Entering ...
armoured personal carrier VMBR-L Serval and EBRC Jaguar
The Engin Blindé de Reconnaissance et de Combat Jaguar (English: ''Armoured Reconnaissance and Combat Vehicle Jaguar'') or EBRC Jaguar is a French armoured reconnaissance vehicle that will replace the French Army's AMX-10 RC and ERC 90 Sagaie ...
The company also acquired a large influence in the field of combat and artillery vehicles thanks to the development of several large caliber canons:
* The Leclerc Leclerc may refer to:
* E.Leclerc, a French hypermarket chain
* Leclerc (surname), a French surname
** Arthur Leclerc (born 2000), Monégasque racing driver
** Charles Leclerc (born 1997), Monégasque Formula One driver
** Charles Leclerc (genera ...
main battle tank
A main battle tank (MBT), also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the role of armor-protected direct fire and maneuver in many modern armies. Cold War-era development of more powerful engines, better suspension s ...
;
* The CAESAR
Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, an ...
- 155 mm wheeled self-propelled howitzer
Self-propelled artillery (also called locomotive artillery) is artillery equipped with its own propulsion system to move toward its firing position. Within the terminology are the self-propelled gun, self-propelled howitzer, self-propelled mo ...
;
* The VBCI
The Véhicule Blindé de Combat d'Infanterie (English language, English: ''Armoured Infantry Fighting Vehicle'') or VBCI is a French Infantry fighting vehicle designed and manufactured by GIAT Industries (now Nexter Systems) and Renault Trucks De ...
(Véhicule blindé de combat d'infanterie) wheeled armoured infantry fighting vehicle;
* The LG1 Mark II 105 mm towed howitzer;
* The TRF1 155 mm towed howitzer
* The GCT 155mm
The AMX-30 AuF1 is a French self-propelled gun vehicle currently in use by the armies of France and Saudi Arabia. It replaced the former Mk F3 155mm in French Army service. The AuF1 primary advance is that it incorporates full armor and nuclear-b ...
self-propelled gun
* The AMX-10 RC
The AMX-10 RC is a French armoured fighting vehicle manufactured by GIAT for armoured reconnaissance purposes. Equipping French cavalry units since 1981, over 240 are still in service with the French Army as of 2021. In addition, 108 units were ...
tank destroyer
And several types of munitions for medium and large-calibre weapons:
* 120 mm ammunitions
* 155 mm ammunitions
* Tank ammunitions
* 40 mm ammunitions
Nexter/Giat also manufactures various weapons:
* The FAMAS
The FAMAS (''Fusil d'Assaut de la Manufacture d'Armes de Saint-Étienne'', "Assault Rifle from the Saint-Étienne Weapon Factory") is a bullpup assault rifle designed and manufactured in France by MAS in 1978, a year after the Austrian Steyr A ...
assault rifle;
* The M621 cannon
The M621 is a 20 mm automatic cannon of French design, developed by Nexter as on-board armament for armored vehicles, aircraft, helicopters and small coastal vessels of the French Navy.
Variants THL 20
Turreted cannon for helicopters.
POD ...
* The FR F2 sniper rifle
The FR F2 (french: Fusil à Répétition modèle F2; en, Repeating Rifle, F2 model) has been the standard sniper rifle of the French military since 1986. It is designed for shooting at point targets at distances up to 800 metres.
History
In Augu ...
;
* The 20 mm modèle F2 gun;
* The M811 25 mm cannon;
* The APILAS anti-tank rocket launcher;
* The Wasp 58
The Wasp 58 is a 58-mm rocket launcher antitank weapon developed in France in the late 1980s. The weapon was, originally, privately developed by the French firm Luchaire SA, subsidiary of GIAT.
History
In the early 1980s, Luchaire's sales d ...
Light Anti-Armour Weapon;
* The Armes de Défense Rapprochée personal defence weapon;
* The GIAT 30
The GIAT 30 is a series of 30 mm cannon developed to replace the DEFA 550 series weapons on French military aircraft.
Introduced in the late 1980s, the GIAT 30 is a revolver cannon with electric ignition and automatic recocking. Unlike the DEFA ...
aircraft-mounted revolver cannon;
File:VCBI-openphotonet PICT6027.JPG, VBCI
The Véhicule Blindé de Combat d'Infanterie (English language, English: ''Armoured Infantry Fighting Vehicle'') or VBCI is a French Infantry fighting vehicle designed and manufactured by GIAT Industries (now Nexter Systems) and Renault Trucks De ...
File:Nexter Aravis à Strasbourg, 2010 (2).jpg, Aravis
Aravis is a fictional character in 1954 novel '' The Horse and His Boy'' by C. S. Lewis.
Aravis is a young Tarkheena, a female member of the ruling nobility of Calormen. With her horse, Hwin, who is revealed to be a talking beast from the ...
File:CAESAR (camion équipé d'un système d'artillerie) 1.jpg, CAESAR
Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, an ...
File:CAESAR firing in Afghanistan.jpg, CAESAR
Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, an ...
File:Leclerc-openphotonet PICT6015.JPG, Leclerc Leclerc may refer to:
* E.Leclerc, a French hypermarket chain
* Leclerc (surname), a French surname
** Arthur Leclerc (born 2000), Monégasque racing driver
** Charles Leclerc (born 1997), Monégasque Formula One driver
** Charles Leclerc (genera ...
Image:Nexter THL-30 p1220834.jpg, THL-20 helicopter gun turret
File:F-1-Towed-Gun-howitzer.jpg, TRF1 155 mm towed howitzer
References
* ''Cour des Comptes
The ''Cour des Comptes'' ("Court of Accounts") is France's supreme audit institution, under French law an administrative court. As such, it is independent from the legislative and executive branches of the French Government. However, the 1946 an ...
'', ''Les industries d'armement de l'État''
chapter 3
2001
External links
*
{{Authority control
Defence companies of France
Ammunition manufacturers
Firearm manufacturers of France
Military vehicle manufacturers
Companies based in Paris-Saclay
Manufacturing companies established in 1973
Technology companies established in 1973
Companies based in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes