SOFINS 2025: Arquus delivers Grizzly and Pegasus vehicles to French forces

Arquus PLFS Grizzly. (Janes/Amael Kotlarski)

Arquus presented the final production model of its ‘Grizzly' and ‘Pegasus' 4×4 light tactical vehicles at the Special Operations Forces Innovation Network Seminar (SOFINS) 2025 defence exhibition held from 1 to 3 April in Gironde, Southwest France.

Developed as the Poids Lourd des Forces Spéciales (PLFS; heavy weight special forces vehicle), the Grizzly, also known as the Sabre in its export version, was presented in what the company refers to as its ‘Standard 2' configuration. A total of 50 Standard 2 PLFS vehicles will be delivered to the Direction générale de l'Armement (DGA), the French defence procurement agency, this year.

In 2015 the Arquus Sherpa Light platform was selected to meet the French special forces' PLFS requirement to replace the ageing ACMAT VLRA (Véhicules de Liaison, de Reconnaissance et d'Appui; liaison, reconnaissance, and support vehicle). In 2017 25 PLFSs in an initial configuration (referred to as ‘Standard 1') were delivered to the DGA but were sent back to Arquus as they did not meet the requirements of the special forces.

After some modifications, the PLFSs were delivered back to the DGA in 2019 and were once again rejected. These 25 vehicles were eventually delivered to the 1st Regiment de Hussards Parachutistes (1 RHP), part of the French Army's 11th Parachute Brigade, where it acquired its official service name of Grizzly.

These Standard 1 models received some minor upgrades, which were developed as part of the Standard 2 and include new articulated arms for the front passenger machine gun and a special mount for the Akeron MP anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) system. Arquus declined to specify the exact nature of the changes made to vehicle between the first and second standard.