The Véhicule Blindé de Combat d'Infanterie (
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
: ''Armoured Infantry Fighting Vehicle'') or VBCI is a French
Infantry fighting vehicle
An infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), also known as a mechanized infantry combat vehicle (MICV), is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to carry infantry into battle and provide direct-fire support. The 1990 Treaty on Conventional Armed Forc ...
designed and manufactured by GIAT Industries (now
Nexter Systems
Nexter Systems (formerly known as GIAT Industries or ''Groupement des Industries de l'Armée de Terre'', Army Industries Group) is a French government-owned weapons manufacturer, based in Roanne, Loire.
Group organization
The Nexter group is ...
) and
Renault Trucks Defense to replace the
AMX-10P
The AMX-10P is a French amphibious infantry fighting vehicle. It was developed after 1965 to replace the AMX-VCI in service with the mechanized regiments of the French Army. The first prototypes were completed in 1968. Production commenced between ...
.
The first units entered active service with the French Army in 2008. 630 units were ordered and full delivery was completed in 2018. Spain
and the UK have notably shown interest in acquiring the vehicle but ultimately opted for domestic options instead.
The VBCI is built on an aluminium hull which carries a modular THD steel and titanium armour that can be replaced in the field. The 8x8 wheeled design was chosen to make the VBCI more comfortable, less costly as well as easier to maintain on war theaters than a tracked vehicle would be, while giving it sufficient mobility to complement the
Leclerc tank
The Leclerc is a third generation French main battle tank developed and manufactured by Nexter Systems. It was named in honor of Marshal Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque, a commander of the Free French Forces, who led the 2nd Armoured Division ...
. The VBCI is also designed to be transportable by the
Airbus A400M
The Airbus A400M AtlasNamed after the Greek mythological figure. is a European four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. It was designed by Airbus Military (now Airbus Defence and Space) as a tactical airlifter with strategic capabil ...
, thanks to an empty mass of less than 18 tons.
History
In the early 1990s, the
French government started the VBM (
Véhicule Blindé Modulaire — Modular Armoured Vehicle) as a replacement for its older IFVs. Soon,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
and the United Kingdom joined the project. At Eurosatory 1996, Renault unveiled the X8A, an eight-wheeled prototype in this perspective.
However, in 1999, the programme came to a dead-end, and
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
decided to carry on on its own and ordered 700 vehicles on 6 November 2000. In 2003–2004, the programme reached some major milestones: The mobility/agility tests, the armour tests and the electronic systems tests were all successful. From 2004 to 2005, the first 5 prototypes (4 VCIs and 1 VPC) were tested in real conditions. These tests proved some crucial design mistakes on the DRAGAR turret, which had to be redesigned. The 2 years delay in the programme are consequences of this design flaw.
As the programme reaches completion, other variants are being studied. A mortar version and a vehicle using the
MILAN
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
Missile have been considered by the developer. Note that none of these variants are being developed as of now, but feasibility studies are being conducted. In June 2007, VBCI was being considered for the British
FRES
Fres ( el, Φρες) is a village and former municipality in the Chania regional unit, Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it is part of the municipality Apokoronas, of which it is a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an ...
programme.
![Soldats français à Gao2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Soldats_fran%C3%A7ais_%C3%A0_Gao2.PNG)
France originally planned to buy 550 VCI and 150 of the VPC command version, but this was cut to 510 and 120 respectively with deliveries until 2015.
The €3.49bn (FY2012) project will deliver 630 units at a unit cost of €3.49m (~US$4.8m) for the VCI and €2.74m (~US$3.7m) for the VPC, or €5.5m (~US$7.4m) per vehicle including development costs.
The 200th VBCI was delivered to the French army on 23 June 2010. The 400th VBCI was delivered to the French army on 12 June 2012. The first unit to be equipped with the new
infantry fighting vehicle
An infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), also known as a mechanized infantry combat vehicle (MICV), is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to carry infantry into battle and provide direct-fire support. The 1990 Treaty on Conventional Armed Forc ...
was the 35th Infantry Regiment in
Belfort
Belfort (; archaic german: Beffert/Beffort) is a city in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in Northeastern France, situated between Lyon and Strasbourg, approximately from the France–Switzerland border. It is the prefecture of the Territo ...
. The 500th VBCI was delivered to the French Army on 8 July 2013. Delivery of 110 command post vehicles has been completed.
At
Eurosatory
Eurosatory is the largest international defence and security exhibition for land and airland that is held every two years in the Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre, Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with ...
2014, Nexter unveiled improvements to the VBCI IFV variant following trials. The rear wheels have steering to reduce its turning radius to 20 meters, and rear internal volume was increased by moving electrical equipment to the front of the vehicle. To make room for the equipment, the driver's seat was pulled back and two sloping angles were added to the front end for the driver to maintain visibility. In September 2014, the French Army Procurement Agency (DGA) declared the qualification of a new version of the VBCI with a 32-ton
gross vehicle weight
Vehicle weight is a measurement of wheeled motor vehicles; either an actual measured weight of the vehicle under defined conditions or a gross weight rating for its weight carrying capacity.
Curb or kerb weight
Curb weight (U.S. English) or kerb ...
, compared to 29 tons previously. The increase in gross weight allows the vehicle to have better protection and preserves its capability to be upgraded. The 32-ton configuration will be delivered to the French armed forces starting in 2015.
Export
United Kingdom
In July 2014, France agreed to loan 19 VBCIs to the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
for testing. The British Army was reportedly interested in the vehicle for its
Mechanised Infantry Vehicle
The Mechanised Infantry Vehicle (MIV) is the British Army's concept of an 8 × 8 wheeled vehicle. On 31 March 2018 the United Kingdom rejoined the Boxer (armoured fighting vehicle) programme in order to move to an assessment phase, which may see ...
program. In February 2014, it was reported that the French Army may purchase the British
Watchkeeper WK450
The Thales Watchkeeper WK450 is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for all weather, intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) use by the British Army. It is provided under an £800 million contract with UAS Tactica ...
unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...
if the British Army bought the VBCI. However, in November 2019, the British Army confirmed its selection of
Boxer Boxer most commonly refers to:
* Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing
*Boxer (dog), a breed of dog
Boxer or boxers may also refer to:
Animal kingdom
* Boxer crab
* Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans
* Boxer snipe ee ...
for its MIV program.
Qatar
In December 2017, during a visit by French President
Emmanuel Macron
Emmanuel Macron (; born 21 December 1977) is a French politician who has served as President of France since 2017. ''Ex officio'', he is also one of the two Co-Princes of Andorra. Prior to his presidency, Macron served as Minister of Econ ...
, Qatar announced it intended to purchase 490 Nexter VBCI vehicles. Negotiations continue to be under way for the exact loadout of the 490 vehicles, with American, British, French, Norwegian and Belgian firms bidding for turret systems among other systems.
In March 2018, it was reported
Kongsberg
Kongsberg () is a historical mining town and municipality in Buskerud, Viken county, Norway. The city is located on the river Numedalslågen at the entrance to the valley of Numedal. Kongsberg has been a centre of silver mining, arms production ...
would supply unmanned medium-calibre turrets and Protector remote weapons stations in the event that Qatar ordered the VBCIs in a contract worth up to US$1.94 billion.
Specifications
C4ISR
The VBCI will be completely integrated in the French
C4ISR capability. The VCI version will use the SIT (Système d’Information Terminal — The lowest level of C4IST in the French forces), while the VPC will use the SIR (Système d’Information Régimentaire — A higher level in the same system).
The vehicle will be designed to primarily carry soldiers equipped with the
FÉLIN
FÉLIN (''Fantassin à Équipement et Liaisons Intégrés'', Integrated Infantryman Equipment and Communications) is the name for the French infantry combat system developed by Safran Electronics & Defense.
It combines a modified FAMAS rifle w ...
system.
DRAGAR Turret
The DRAGAR Turret (
GIAT INDUSTRIES
Nexter Systems (formerly known as GIAT Industries or ''Groupement des Industries de l'Armée de Terre'', Army Industries Group) is a French government-owned weapons manufacturer, based in Roanne, Loire.
Group organization
The Nexter group is ...
) is a single seat modular design turret integrating a 25 mm stabilized gun. Fire control integrates a
laser rangefinder
A laser rangefinder, also known as a laser telemeter, is a rangefinder that uses a laser beam to determine the distance to an object. The most common form of laser rangefinder operates on the time of flight principle by sending a laser pulse in ...
and a thermal camera. The rate of fire is up to 400 rounds/min, and the turret allows anti-air self-defence. It also includes a coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun for close defence and a Galix grenade launching system. The turret adds to a vehicle's weight.
[
]
Variants
French variants
*VCI (infantry fighting vehicle): Combat group of 9 men (+ crew), medium calibre Dragar type turret (25 mm), 7.62 mm machine gun.
*VPC (command post vehicle): 2 SIP stations with 7 men (+ crew), self-defence turret armed with a 12.7 mm machine gun.
Export variants
*VTT (Troop Transport Vehicle): It is designed to transport troops. It has an interior volume of 13 m³ and can carry a 2-man crew and up to 10 soldiers with their equipment. The VTT is sized to meet export requirements and is currently being considered by several national armies.
Common features for all variants include SIT (Système d’Information Terminal) communication equipment, combat identification equipment, and NBC detection and protection equipment.
*VBCI 2
The VBCI 2 is an improved version, intended for export sales, with new engine (600 hp Volvo D13 turbocharged diesel engine), new air conditioner, and new vision cameras. It is heavier (32 t) and the prototype is equipped with a T40 two-man turret (40mm gun).
See also
Comparable vehicles
*
Stryker
The Stryker is a family of eight-wheeled armored fighting vehicles derived from the Canadian LAV III. Stryker vehicles are produced by General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada (GDLS-C) for the United States Army in a plant in London, Ontario. It ...
*
LAV III
The LAV III, originally named the Kodiak by the Canadian Army, is the third generation of the LAV (Canada), Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV) family of armored personnel carriers built by General Dynamics Land Systems – Canada (GDLS-C), a London, O ...
/
LAV AFV/
LAV-25
The LAV-25 is a member of the LAV II family. It is an eight-wheeled amphibious armored reconnaissance vehicle built by General Dynamics Land Systems and used by the United States Marine Corps and the United States Army.
History
During the 1980s, ...
/
ASLAV
The Australian Light Armoured Vehicle (ASLAV) is an eight-wheeled amphibious armoured reconnaissance vehicle of the LAV II family used by the Australian Army. It was built by General Dynamics Land Systems Canada, and developed from the U.S. Mar ...
*
Amphibious Combat Vehicle
The Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) is a program initiated by Marine Corps Systems Command to procure an amphibious assault vehicle for the United States Marine Corps to supplement and ultimately replace the aging Assault Amphibious Vehicle (AAV ...
*
K808 Armored Personnel Carrier
The K808/806 White Tiger ( ko, 백호 "Baekho", Hanja: 白虎) wheeled armored personnel carrier is family of 8x8 and 6x6 armored vehicles. Developed by Hyundai Rotem as a private venture in 2012, the Korean Army declared a plan to acquire 60 ...
*
Tusan AFV
*
Eitan AFV
Eitan (Hebrew for "steadfast", "firm" or "strong") is an armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) developed by the Merkava and Armored Vehicles Directorate in the IMOD to replace the aging M113 armored personnel carrier in use by the Israel Defense Forces ...
*
Boxer Boxer most commonly refers to:
* Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing
*Boxer (dog), a breed of dog
Boxer or boxers may also refer to:
Animal kingdom
* Boxer crab
* Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans
* Boxer snipe ee ...
*
Freccia IFV
The Freccia ( it, Arrow) is an Italian 8x8 wheeled Infantry fighting vehicle in use with the Italian Army. The first batch of 249 vehicles were ordered to replace Cold War VCC-2 armoured personnel carriers of the Mechanized Brigade "Pinerolo" ...
*
BTR-90
BTR-90 (GAZ-5923) (russian: бронетранспортёр, translit= Bronetransportyor, lit=Armoured Transporter) is an 8×8 wheeled armored personnel carrier developed in Russia, designed in 1993 and first shown publicly in 1994. It is a large ...
*
VPK-7829 Bumerang
The VPK-7829 Bumerang (russian: Бумеранг, Boomerang) is a modular amphibious wheeled infantry fighting vehicle and armored personnel carrier being developed by Russian Military Industrial Company (MIC) for the Russian army. It is not cur ...
*
CM-32
The CM-32 "Clouded Leopard" (), officially Taiwan Infantry Fighting Vehicle (TIFV), is an eight-wheeled armoured vehicle currently being produced for the Republic of China Army. It is based on the 6x6 CM-31 designed by the relatively unknown Timo ...
*
ZBL-08
The Type 08 () is a family of eight-wheeled amphibious, modular armored vehicle developed by Norinco for infantry fire support, battlefield logistics and quick reaction operations. It is a recent People's Republic of China produced Infantry fig ...
*
Type 96 Armored Personnel Carrier
The is an armoured vehicle that entered service with Japan in 1996. This vehicle complements the existing fleet of tracked Type 73 Armored Personnel Carriers already in service.
Description
The driver sits on the right side of the vehicle wit ...
**
Type 16 maneuver combat vehicle
The is a wheeled armored fighting vehicle of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force.
Overview
The ''Type 16'' maneuver combat vehicle (MCV) equips designated combat units. Due to its light weight and small size, it is designed for easy depl ...
*
Patria AMV
The Patria AMV (Armored Modular Vehicle) is an 8×8 multi-role military vehicle produced by the Finnish defence industry company Patria.
The main feature of the AMV is its modular design, which allows the incorporation of different turrets, weapo ...
*
BTR-4
The BTR-4 "Bucephalus" (, abbreviation of uk, Бронетранспортер, links=no, lit=armoured transporter, translit=Bronetransporter, label=none) is an amphibious 8x8 wheeled Infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) designed in Ukraine by th ...
*
Saur 2
*
KTO Rosomak
The KTO Rosomak (Kołowy Transporter Opancerzony Rosomak) (pol. wheeled armored personnel carrier Wolverine) is an 8×8 multi-role military vehicle produced by Rosomak S.A. (formerly Wojskowe Zakłady Mechaniczne) in Siemianowice Śląskie (Upp ...
*
FNSS Pars
The Pars ( Turkish for Anatolian leopard) is an amphibious armoured combat vehicle family with 4x4, 6×6 and 8×8 versions, produced by FNSS Defence Systems of Turkey.
Development
The development of the PARS vehicles commenced in 2002, based on ...
*
MOWAG Piranha
References
External links
VBCI Nexter Data Sheet - Pictures - VideoJanes*
Nexter
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vehicule Blinde De Combat D'infanterie
Wheeled infantry fighting vehicles
Infantry fighting vehicles of France
Wheeled amphibious armoured fighting vehicles
Nexter Systems
Eight-wheeled vehicles
Military vehicles introduced in the 2000s