The French military contingent in Estonia was reinforced with Griffon armored vehicles.

This was reported by the French Forces in Estonia on Twitter.

France’s military is part of the NATO Battlegroup Estonia, deployed to strengthen the alliance’s eastern borders. It also includes the UK military, whose command is in charge of this Battlegroup.

The latest Griffon multi-purpose armored vehicles are coming to Estonia as part of the French military rotation.

The first batch of Griffon has already arrived. According to the French military, the next batch of 12 armored vehicles is expected to arrive on Thursday.

The decision to deploy allied battlegroups in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland was made at the NATO summit in Warsaw in June 2016. This step was a response to the security threat from the Russian Federation.

The multinational group has been based in the Estonian city of Tapa since 2017.

The military of France and Great Britain are located there on a rotational basis. Together with the military of Estonia, they ensure the reinforcement of the country’s defense capability.

Griffon VBMR is an armored personnel carrier with a 6×6 wheel arrangement produced in five versions. Its armament comprises a remotely controlled combat module with a 12.7mm or 7.62mm machine gun (or 40mm automatic grenade launcher).

Griffon multi-purpose armored vehicle will replace the VAB 4×4 wheeled armored personnel carrier, which is now in service with the French military. The EBMR program includes the delivery of 1722 Griffons to the French Army. A total of 780 vehicles are expected to be delivered by 2025.

The main purpose of the Griffon VBMR is to provide the French Army with a new armored vehicle to transport troops with a high level of protection and mobility.

The French 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment received the first command and artillery observation version of the Griffon multi-purpose armored vehicle in June 2021.