The French Companies Nexter and Texelis delivered the first SERVAL 4x4 armoured vehicles to the French Ministry of Defence. The first SERVAL vehicles were delivered as part of a deal negotiated in 2018 by Nexter and Texelis with the French army for 364 cars. The armoured SERVAL 4x4 is one of four vehicles in the SCORPION Combat Information System (SICS) program.
Following the contract notified in 2018, French companies Nexter and Texelis announced on May 5, 2022, the first of the SERVAL s 4x4 light multi-role armoured vehicles (VBMR) to the French ministry of the Armed Forces. According to the delivery plan, 70 cars will be delivered by the end of 2022, out of a total of 364 SERVALs ordered to date by the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA).
Nexter, a French company, is responsible for producing the vehicle, while Texelis is in charge of delivering the entire vehicle driveline for integration with Nexter"s technologies for SERVAL. The SERVAL will have high mobility capabilities thanks to the Texelis solution, allowing it to respond to the highly demanding and restrictive environment in which the French Army"s vehicle fleet operates on today"s battlefield while also providing advanced protection and enhanced strategic and tactical mobility.
The SERVAL is a 15-ton multi-role armoured vehicle that integrates various equipment common to other vehicles of the Scorpion program, especially the electronic core, a turret remotely operated from the passenger compartment, threat sensors and the SICS, which enables it to be integrated into the Scorpion systems network. It can reach a maximum of 600 km and a maximum speed of 90 km/hour.
The Scorpion Program has been deemed the most ambitious military program in the recent history of French land forces.
It is a $6.8 billion multi-company modernisation initiative to replace all French frontline fighting vehicles with better platforms linked to new and unified communications and the Battlefield Management System (BMS). This BMS is underpinned by “collaborative combat,” which seeks to connect squads, vehicles, battle groups, and brigades in a single network.
The Scorpion includes the delivery of new wheeled armoured vehicles to replace the entire family of VAB wheeled armoured vehicles and AMX-10RC and VAB HOT anti-tank vehicles in service with the French army. The Scorpion program also includes the modernisation of the Main Battle Tank Leclerc and the integration of the VBCI, 8x8 armoured Infantry Fighting Vehicles for French army mechanised infantry units. The design of the SERVAL is standard for modern 4x4 armoured vehicles with the engine at the front, crew in the middle and troops or cargo area at the rear.
The crew compartment has a big window in the front and one single door on either hull.
The SERVAL will have two crews and can transport up to eight military personnel.
The infantrymen enter and exit the vehicle through two doors positioned at the hull’s back.
