Nexter begins production of Serval armoured vehicles

Nexter chief executive officer Nicolas Chamussy officially opened the assembly line for the Serval Véhicule Blindé Multi-rôles (VBMR) Léger light multirole armoured vehicle in Roanne, southern France, on 23 September. (Jean-Marc Tanguy)

Nexter chief executive officer Nicolas Chamussy officially opened the assembly line for the Serval Véhicule Blindé Multi-rôles (VBMR) Léger light multirole armoured vehicle in Roanne, southern France, on 23 September.

The French Army has already received 14 Serval prototypes and pre-series vehicles, and four production vehicles are now on the assembly line that opened in June. The first series vehicles will be delivered for acceptance tests by the Direction Générale de l'Armement (DGA), the French armament procurement agency, in January 2022, “three months ahead of schedule”, noted Chamussy.

Texelis provides the vehicle's mobility kit.

Janes was given a ride in a Serval prototype, which is noisier than the larger Griffon VBMR but the Serval's combat compartment is similar to the Griffon's but with a lower roof. The Serval has an endurance of one day, compared to three for the Griffon. The normal cruising speed of the Serval is 90 km/h, with the possibility of reaching 100 km/h in combat mode if required.