SOFINS 2019: Technamm unveils new vehicles

French company Technamm unveiled two of its latest designs – the Masstech Barkhane and the Masstech Armure – at the Special Operations Forces Innovation Network Seminar (SOFINS) exhibition, held at Camp de Souge, south of Bordeaux, on 2–4 April.

The Masstech Barkhane was among the vehicles presented by Technamm at the SOFINS exhibition, held at Camp de Souge, south of Bordeaux, on 2–4 April. (IHS Markit/Erwan de Cherisey)

Specialised in modifying and optimising Toyota Land Cruiser 70 series chassis for military applications, Technamm has sold 500 of its Masstech T4s to the French Army to meet an urgent requirement for a new generation of light utility vehicles.

Technamm technical and commercial director Philippe Quarteroni said the company had also delivered approximately 200 examples of its Masstech Recamp, a modified single cabin Land Cruiser 79 optimised for operations in harsh environments, which the French government has been donating to partner countries in Africa, such as Burkina Faso.

According to Quarteroni, a number of Recamp vehicles have also been pressed into service with French units deployed in the Sahel as part of Operation ‘Barkhane’. Operator feedback has been positive and due to growing interest in this particular platform, Technamm decided in mid-2018 to start developing an improved derivative of the Recamp, also using the series 79 chassis, optimised for French military requirements. The resulting platform is the Masstech Barkhane, the first example of which was exhibited at SOFINS after completion only a few days before the show.