The Ministry of the Armed Forces announced on Tuesday that it had ordered 271 Griffon and 42 Jaguar armored vehicles as part of its Scorpion program to renew land combat capabilities.
This order, placed on September 15 by the General Directorate of Armament (DGA) is part of the military programming law (LPM) which aims to deliver 936 Griffons and 150 Jaguars by 2025 and as many on the following five years.
It comes as critics lament that French defense industries have not benefited from part of the 100 billion stimulus plan announced in early September.
Vehicles developed by Nexter, Arquus and Thales
The LPM provides for "110 billion euros injected into the economy between 2019 and 2023 for equipment, infrastructure" and their maintenance, retorted the Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly.
"This is the equivalent in five years of a stimulus plan for defense issues only", she pleaded during her speech of return on September 17, evoking an "absolutely colossal effort".
The Griffon and Jaguar armored vehicles were developed by Nexter, Arquus and Thales.
With this order for a second tranche deliverable in 2022 and 2023, "it is the entire French industrial and technological base for defense (BITD) in the land area that is irrigated", pleads the ministry in a press release.
In 2017, the DGA ordered a first tranche of 319 Griffon multi-role heavy armored vehicles and 20 Jaguar reconnaissance and combat vehicles (EBRC).
At the end of 2019, the Army had taken delivery of the first 92 Griffons.
A total of 128 Griffons and 4 Jaguars are to be delivered in 2020.
