French army receives first Jaguar R3 armoured reconnaissance vehicles
The French army received its first Jaguar R3 armoured reconnaissance vehicles in September. (DGA)
The French army received its first Jaguar R3 6x6 armoured reconnaissance vehicles in September 2026, the Direction Générale de l'Armement (DGA), the French defence procurement agency, and KNDS, have announced.
The DGA said on its website on 21 September that 21 vehicles were delivered on 4 September. KNDS added in a press release on 23 September that as of 18 September, 25 Jaguar R3 vehicles had been delivered or Jaguar R2s retrofitted for the French army, with deliveries and retrofits to the latest standard to continue through 2026.
The DGA certified the Jaguar R3 as fit for service on 8 April 2026 and the French army authorised its operational use on 20 July 2026. The agency said the DGA Technique test centre conducted 18 tests at its Bourges and 49 at its Angers sites leading to the qualification of the Jaguar R3 version.
A KNDS spokesperson told Janes on 1 October, “The Jaguar is a vehicle that continuously benefits from incremental functional upgrades. The Jaguar R3 increment introduces software improvements and integrates new weapon system capabilities, such as the firing of MBDA's Akeron MP missile. This medium-range missile can operate in ‘fire-and-forget' mode but also allows target redesignation while in flight. This notably enables engagement of targets hidden behind an obstacle as after launch the missile rapidly gains altitude, allowing its seeker to locate and lock onto the target behind the obstruction before completing its flight autonomously.”
According to the DGA, the Missile Moyenne Portée (MMP) missile allows the Jaguar to avoid cannon against cannon engagements against enemy armoured vehicles.
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