French forces to get new batch of Jaguar, Griffon armored vehicles

[Test7]

The Jaguar is powered by a 500-horsepower engine, allowing the vehicle to reach a maximum speed of 90 kph. (Courtesy of Nexter)

PARIS – The French Ministry of the Armed Forces has announced a firm order for a second tranche of the Jaguar and Griffon armored vehicles that lie at the core of its ambitious Scorpion program to reconfigure how its army wages war.
This second tranche is for 42 Jaguar combat and reconnaissance armored vehicles and 271 Griffon multirole armored vehicles. The first tranche, ordered in 2017, was for 319 Griffons and 20 Jaguars.
So far the Army has received 105 Griffons and earlier this month took two of them to Djibouti, in the Horn of Africa. Forces there are testing them in hot, desert conditions before the first vehicles are deployed to Mali next year in support of France’s Barkhane anti-terrorist operation.
The first four Jaguars are scheduled for delivery to the army before the end of this year.
The Griffon and Jaguar are both manufactured by a conglomerate of three major French defense industries: Nexter, Arquus and Thales.


The latest delivery of 13 Griffons was to the 21st Marine Infantry Regiment which received them in July. The regiment’s Scorpion officer, described in an army video only as “Major Laurent” in keeping with French security protocol for lower-ranking officers, praised the vehicle for its speed, precise firing system and armor. “So far, we have trained 16 pilots and eight instructors. They will then be responsible within the Regiment for training our pilots and our gunners,” the officer said.
Other regiments that have already received the Griffon are the 3rd Marine Infantry Regiment, the 13th Battalion of Chasseurs Alpins and the 1st Infantry Regiment.


According to Col. Tugdual Barbarin, commander of the 3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment (RPIMA), his formation will not be equipped with the Griffon as planned but, instead, will be getting the Serval, the third of the new vehicles being developed in the Scorpion program. This decision, he said, was made by Army Chief of Staff Gen. Thierry Burkhard earlier this month.
France’s 2019-2025 military program law has imposed an acceleration in deliveries of the Scorpion vehicles, establishing that 50 percent of the 1,872 Griffons and 300 Jaguars which the Ministry of the Armed Forces expects to order in total must be delivered by 2025. That means the army will have 936 Griffons and 150 Jaguars by the end of 2024.

French forces to get new batch of Jaguar, Griffon armored vehicles

So far the Army has received 105 Griffons and earlier this month took two of them to Djibouti, in the Horn of Africa, for hot-weather testing ahead of a deployment to Mali.

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[FeuerFreii]

Hi guys, new to the forum here and glad to be a part of this community! Am a green military enthusiast and am looking forward to the discussions ahead.

Came across this thread while reading up on the French Army and their plans to invest billions on upgrading their military technologies and equipment in 2022, as France prepares herself for technologically-advanced battlefields in the forseeable future, according to an article (link attached below).

Their key areas of focus? “Quantum technologies, artificial intelligence systems and directed-energy weapons.”
Honestly, it sounds like the stuff of science fiction and thus, a bit overambitious. Yet, it is neat to learn that the French may work with their NATO allies (ie Germany) to enhance and prepare themselves for the future battlefront.

I was particularly drawn to the French Army’s procurement plans as shared by the OP of this thread, as I operate an armoured fighting vehicle myself.

The Griffon boasts the ability to provide more accurate positioning, autonomous engagement and navigation capabilities. Meanwhile, the Jaguar comes with a number of countermeasures, including laser warning system, missile detection system, barrage jamming, and acoustic sniper localisation system. And The Serval is equipped with the SCORPION Combat Information System (SICS), which supports collective combat capabilities by ensuring communication between all the platforms and weapons systems of the Scorpion network.

The French are not alone, as defence forces the world over are looking into similar upgrades, to stay updated in a world dominated by AI and cloud systems. Yet, concerns remain about the vulnerability of these systems. If these systems were to fall into the hands of rogue actors and hackers, I can’t help but worry about the fallout. What are your thoughts on how this current and future battlefield is taking shape?

Article:
https://www.defensenews.com/global/...rm-upgrades-lead-frances-2022-defense-budget/