ARQUUS, a key player in the Act on Military Planning 2019-2025

Following the strategic review completed in 2017, the Act on Military Planning (LPM) voted in by Parliament last summer means a significant rise in money allocated to defence (+€1.7 billion per year until 2022, then +€3 billion per year from 2023). It is intended to provide the armed forces with the resources to make up for the accumulated shortfalls after years of cuts, enabling them to face the threats deteriorating across the world and even closing in on our nation. During this period of escalating our strength, There are many reasons why ARQUUS should remain the major player in terrestrial equipment used by the French army and its foreign partners.


ARQUUS soutient les combattants

As shown in the illustration, the LPM is based around four areas for the army, providing a wide range of potential actions to ARQUUS:

 

  • actions "on a human scale" aimed at improving living conditions, treatment and combat engagement for individual servicemen (In-Service Support) and their families. ARQUUS specifically acts within this area through its support for injured servicemen (OMEGA program, ADO, Terre Fraternité) and orphans (1x1 association), as well as through its active participation in the study and teaching of defence matters (chair of IHEDN, auditors Ecole de Guerre and IHEDN), and through its various partnerships (Museum of the Armed Forces, exhibitions, etc.). All these initiatives demonstrate the close attachment held by ARQUUS in the world of Defence and to the French army soldiers. 
     
  • "remedial" actions, meaning the shoring up of capabilities missing through the shortfall in resources over the last decade: maintaining worn out, over-used equipment, replacing last 155 self-propelled guns with the Caesar system, upgrading Leclercs, speeding up the MCO transformation, and more. On these points, ARQUUS is a key player in the repair and regeneration of vehicles (VAB, GBC, VBL, PVP). It also supplies Caesar carriers and the VBCI drive train.  
     
  • initiatives for "replacing equipment" with a focus on the median segment: SCORPION scheme (Griffon, Jaguar, Serval, VBAE), studies covering future tank and canon schemes, and more. Focussing on the army, this area mainly mobilises ARQUUS around the SCORPION scheme (Griffon and Jaguar mobility, weapons station for the entire scheme, including renovated Leclercs and Serval, VBAE project), on plans for replacing fleets of trucks (logistics and tactics) and on the P4 replacement (by the VT4, for which deliveries have already begun), with a readiness to participate in the future tank system.
     
  • a specific emphasis on innovation across all areas, with the creation of a Defence Innovation Agency, provided with its own specific resources and procedures. This is the opportunity for ARQUUS to promote its research and studies on the smart convoy (patrolling), standalone trailers, remotely operated vehicles, energy saving and even predictive maintenance and remote diagnostics.
     

Through the various brands it has inherited, ARQUUS has been the main supplier for the army, especially on median and light segments, since the 1st World War. With the arrival of 3rd generation equipment in the 1980s and 25000 wheeled vehicles in the army, ARQUUS currently supports over 90% of the army's equipment of this type.

The Act for Military Planning 2019-2025 should enable ARQUUS to remain the European leader for medium-weight armoured vehicles for the coming 30 years, working for the French armed forces and partner armies across the globe.

LA MCO comme priorité

Des actions de « réparation », c’est-à-dire de comblement des trous capacitaires apparus par manque de ressources au cours des 10 dernières années : maintenance d’un parc vétuste et sur-employé, remplacement des derniers canons automoteurs de 155 par des Caesar, revalorisation des Leclerc, accélération de la transformation du MCO… Sur ces points, ARQUUS est un acteur clef de la réparation et régénération des véhicules (VAB, GBC, VBL, PVP) ; il assure aussi la fourniture du porteur Caesar et la chaîne cinématique du VBCI.

Projet VBAE en ligne de mire

Des actions de « renouvellement des parcs » avec effort sur le segment médian : programme SCORPION (Griffon, Jaguar, Serval, VBAE), études sur les programmes futurs char et canon… Pointe d’effort de l’armée de terre, cet axe mobilise ARQUUS, principalement sur le programme SCORPION (mobilité Griffon et Jaguar, tourelleau de l’ensemble du programme, y compris Leclerc rénovés et Serval, projet VBAE), sur le projet de renouvellement des parcs camions (logistiques et tactiques) et sur le remplacement de la P4 (par le VT4 dont les livraisons ont commencé), tout en restant prêt à participer au système du char futur. 

L'innovation dans l'ADN d'ARQUUS

Un accent prononcé sur l’innovation dans tous les domaines, avec la création d’une Agence Innovation Défense, dotée de ressources et de procédures dédiées. C’est l’opportunité pour ARQUUS de promouvoir ses recherches et études sur le convoi intelligent (ou patrolling), la remorque autonome, le véhicule télé-opéré, les économies d’énergie, ou encore la maintenance prédictive ou le diagnostic à distance…

ARQUUS, à travers les différentes marques reçues en héritage, est le fournisseur principal de l’armée de terre, notamment sur les segments médians et légers, depuis la 1ère guerre mondiale ; avec l’arrivée des matériels de 3ème génération dans les années 1980, et 25000 véhicules à roues dans l’Armée de Terre, ARQUUS assure ainsi aujourd’hui le soutien de plus de 90% de son parc.

La LPM 2019-2025 doit permettre à ARQUUS de rester pour les 30 années à venir le leader européen des véhicules blindés médians, au service des armées françaises et des armées partenaires dans le monde.