France and Belgium Agree on Requirements for New VBAE Armored Vehicle — Successor to VBL

France and Belgium have agreed on joint requirements for the next-generation VBAE light armored vehicle, which is set to replace the French VBL, which has been in service for over four decades.

The relevant document was signed on May 19 by Belgian General Jean-Paul Bonier and French General Patrick Justel, marking a new phase in the joint CaMo program, according to the French publication OPEXNEWS.

The new armored vehicle is envisioned as a compact, low-profile vehicle for reconnaissance, combat unit support, and serving as a forward command post.

The vehicle is intended to operate alongside the French Jaguar and Leclerc tanks, as well as conduct deep reconnaissance to gather specialized intelligence.

The program to develop a successor to the VBL has been underway for over a decade. During this time, the French industry has presented a number of concepts, but none have yet become a production solution.

Back in 2012, Panhard presented the CRAB project, equipped with remotely controlled weapons, anti-tank missiles, and a large-caliber machine gun.

Later, Arquus promoted the Scarabee armored vehicle with a hybrid powerplant and enhanced maneuverability, but this project also failed to secure a contract.

The VBAE program officially launched in December 2023, when OCCAr signed a two-year contract for preliminary design work with a consortium of Arquus and KNDS France worth €15 million.

However, as early as 2025, a budget review of the French defense program reduced the scope of the procurement. The planned delivery of 180 vehicles by 2030 was canceled, and the total requirement was reduced from 1,440 to 886 units.

The French military also revised the vehicle’s requirements based on lessons learned from the war in Ukraine, where light armored vehicles became vulnerable targets for drones.

Belgian company John Cockerill Defense also joined the program. Following its acquisition of Arquus, it gained additional influence over the project’s development.

Despite years of delays, the agreement on joint requirements means that the VBAE program has finally moved from conceptual discussions to the practical stage of creating a new armored vehicle.

As a reminder, war-tested Ukrainian armored vehicles have, in turn, also attracted the interest of foreign militaries.