militarised versions of its commercial truck ranges, primarily the Kerax. The Kerax became available commercially in 1997, and to date Renault has supplied in excess of 400 examples to the French Army. Export sales to Bangladesh, Belgium, Morocco and Thailand have been made, with more recent sales to NAMSA/NATO (est. 80) and Chad (120). Additionally, with a recently introduced 8x8 Kerax Renault is likely to be a front-runner in France’s recently revitalised PPT requirement, this calling for up to 2,900 trucks and trailers between 2012-2017. As the legacy supplier of heavy trucks to France’s armed forces, Renault has since April 2008 operated a ten-year €484 million Maintenance in Operational Conditions (MOC) contract with the Army for over 8,500 military trucks.
Renault is also under contract to
the French Army for upgrades to the VAB (Véhicule de l’Avant Blindé) light armoured wheeled vehicle, and by early 2010 had upgraded around 2,000 examples. The VAB was originally developed to meet the needs of the French Army, with the
First sales of the 7,700kg to 11,000kg GVW Sherpa Light were announced during 2008, and by mid-2010 around 200 examples had been ordered. Photo credit Shaun Connors
first examples entering service in 1976. The original prime contractor was SMS, a consortium formed between the then Méchanique Creusot-Loire and Renault/Saviem (Saviem was absorbed into Renault). Until late- 2003 export and marketing of the VAB family was carried out by Satory Military Vehicles (a consortium of the then Giat Industries and Renault Vehicles Industrials (RVI)), but in order to simplify their respective methods of operation regarding armoured vehicles, Giat and RVI effectively wound up Satory Military Vehicles with responsibility for the VAB family returning to the now Renault Trucks Defense. Renault Trucks Defense is also co-developer and supplier of the complete mobility package (engine, driveline, suspension) for Nexter’s VBCI (Véhicule Blindé de Combat d’Infanterie), the French Army’s new infantry combat vehicle, 630 of which have been ordered, 520 in the VCI (Véhicule de Combat d’Infanterie) infantry combat vehicle configuration and 110 in the VPC (Véhicule Poste de Commandement) command
post configuration. Deliveries of the VBCI commenced in 2008, and are scheduled for completion in 2015. Renault also unveiled at Eurosatory 2008 a non-running example of a new 6x6 vehicle called the Armoured Multirole Carrier (AMC), this the basis for a projected family of new 6x6 and 8x8 wheeled armoured vehicles. To further bolster its military vehicle portfolio, Renault announced during 2006 that it had acquired French military truck specialist ACMAT, the company’s key and certainly best known product being the VLRA, which in over 40 years of production has been supplied to at least 45 countries and changed little while gaining an enviable brand reputation for longevity and durability. In 2008 ACMAT announced the VLRA 2 (the continued development of the VLRA concept) and the ACMAT Light Tactical Vehicle (ALTV), a 3,500kg GVW light utility vehicle built to the same levels of durability as the VLRA
Shaun Connors Defence Journalist.
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