Nexter Systems (formerly known as GIAT Industries or ''Groupement des Industries de l'Armée de Terre'', Army Industries Group) is a French
government-owned 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 Rhône ...
.
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'' and a 2002 report by the
National Assembly 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 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, incorporating the 20 mm
M621 cannon.
["Missile Mirage", '' Aviation Week & Space Technology'', January 1, 2007.]
Nexter has a joint venture
CTA International 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 de ...
, 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 KMW may refer to:
* Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, a German heavy equipment manufacturing company
* ''Klosterneuburger Mostwaage'', a scale for must weight in winemaking primarily used in Austria, and originally the name of a piece of equipment for doing t ...
(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 re ...
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 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 sys ...
;
* 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 m ...
;
* The VBCI (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 self-propelled gun
* The AMX-10 RC 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 assault rifle;
* The M621 cannon
* The FR F2 sniper rifle;
* The 20 mm modèle F2 gun;
* The M811 25 mm cannon;
* The APILAS
The RAC 112 APILAS (Armor-Piercing Infantry Light Arm System) is a portable one-shot 112 mm recoilless anti-tank weapon, designed in France by GIAT Industries. Over 120,000 of the APILAS launchers have been produced, and they are in servic ...
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 de ...
Light Anti-Armour Weapon;
* The Armes de Défense Rapprochée personal defence weapon;
* The GIAT 30 aircraft-mounted revolver cannon;
File:VCBI-openphotonet PICT6027.JPG, VBCI
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 l ...
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
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'', ''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