The Direction générale de l’armement (DGA) completed, at the end of 2025, the delivery of the first 30 Serval Appui Scorpion armored vehicles to the Armée de terre, as part of a total order of 530 units signed on December 31, 2024.
The contract exceeds €1 billion and is part of the modernization efforts of the French land forces.
The first batch is delivered within a more complex and demanding operational environment, with a focus on high-intensity conflicts. The Serval Appui Scorpion is derived from the Serval armored vehicle, developed under the Scorpion program, and inherits its core military attributes such as mobility, protection, autonomy, and deployability.
According to the DGA, the platform features a high level of performance and a modular architecture, enhanced by the integration of new high value-added functions. These capabilities will allow the French Army to expand and update specific missions, including:
Accompanying air defense, with a version equipped with a turret capable of firing Mistral 3 surface-to-air missiles under armor;
Counter-drone operations, via a variant fitted with radar, radio-frequency detection system, fire control, a 30–113 mm cannon mounted in a turret, and specialized munitions;
Tactical communications nodes, including Syracuse IV satellite communications, line-of-sight radio links, and communications distribution systems.
Delivery of the 530 Serval Appui Scorpion armored vehicles is scheduled to take place gradually through 2033, under the Véhicule léger tactique polyvalent (VLTP) program.
Production involves a French industrial consortium led by KNDS France (with facilities in Satory, Bourges, and Roanne) and Texelis (Limoges), along with major subcontractors such as MBDA, Safran Electronics & Defense, CS Group, and KNDS Ammo France, spread across different regions of France.
Source and images: French Ministry of the Armed Forces / DGA | Wikimedia. This content was created with the assistance of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
