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France Arquus
VAB Mk3
A 6x6 medium armored vehicle from Arquus (formerly Renault Trucks Defense), a wholly new modular design succeeding the original VAB after 40 years of service, built for MRAP-level mine/IED protection with far greater payload and mobility. It is offered in personnel-carrier, infantry-combat, mortar-carrier, command-post, ambulance and law-enforcement configurations.
In service since 2012
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗
100
km/h
800
km range
20,000
kg
Pricing: Unit cost not publicly disclosed
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
French export-licensed
CIEEMG inter-ministerial approval; broadly export-oriented.
Channel: DGA / direct commercial
Fielded & proven
Operator data not public
In service since 2012. Status: active.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from. Why so few systems publish one →
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Competitive field
68 comparable systems from 32 other manufacturers
Counted in the WeaponSpecs database: IFVs built by another manufacturer that share at least one published role with this system. A count of what this catalog holds, not a survey of the whole market. See the alternatives →
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Overview
The VAB Mk3 is Arquus's next-generation 6x6 armored vehicle family, unveiled at Eurosatory 2012 as a clean-sheet replacement for the four-decade-old VAB rather than an incremental upgrade. Its monocoque hull is engineered from the outset for STANAG 4569 Level 4 ballistic protection and MRAP-grade mine/IED resistance, addressing threats the original VAB was never designed against, while a modular architecture lets the same base vehicle be reconfigured as a troop carrier, infantry combat vehicle, reconnaissance and fire-support vehicle, 120mm mortar carrier, command post, ambulance or law-enforcement vehicle. Arquus has continued to win export orders for the type, including a Moroccan acquisition programme and a local modernisation programme for Qatar's VAB fleet, and France has supplied early VAB Mk3 units to Ukraine for evaluation.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
| Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance. | 100 km/h |
|---|---|
| Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence. | 800 km |
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
| Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type. | Mission-dependent: 12.7mm machine gun (APC), Cockerill CPWS 20-25mm remote turret or equivalent medium-caliber turret (ICV), 120mm mortar (mortar carrier), up to 90mm cannon options |
|---|---|
| Secondary armament Additional weapons: coaxial MG, remote weapon station, gun pods. | 7.62mm machine guns |
Protection
Armor, countermeasures and survivability.
| Armor Armor technology: composite, modular, ERA-fitted, uranium-ceramic. Exact compositions are classified. | Monocoque hull, STANAG 4569 Level 4 ballistic protection |
|---|---|
| NBC protection Sealed crew compartment with overpressure filtration for nuclear/biological/chemical environments. | Yes |
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
| Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable. | 7.3 m |
|---|---|
| Width Overall width, matters for rail/road transport of vehicles. | 2.65 m |
| Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles. | 2.5 m |
| Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor. | 20,000 kg |
| Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity. | 2 |
| Troop capacity Number of embarked troops/passengers (IFV, APC, transport). Higher carries more. | 10 |
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
| Engine Powerplant model and type. | Renault MD7 turbo diesel |
|---|---|
| Engine power Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster. | 340 hp |
| Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet… | Diesel |
Specifications compiled from public Arquus and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-08-24.
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What is the top speed of the Arquus VAB Mk3? +
The Arquus VAB Mk3 has a maximum speed of 100 km/h.
What is the range of the Arquus VAB Mk3? +
The Arquus VAB Mk3 has a maximum range of 800 km.
How much does the Arquus VAB Mk3 weigh? +
The Arquus VAB Mk3 has a combat weight of 20,000 kg.
How many crew does the Arquus VAB Mk3 require? +
The Arquus VAB Mk3 requires a crew of 2.
What is the main armament of the Arquus VAB Mk3? +
The Arquus VAB Mk3's primary weapon is the Mission-dependent: 12.7mm machine gun (APC), Cockerill CPWS 20-25mm remote turret or equivalent medium-caliber turret (ICV), 120mm mortar (mortar carrier), up to 90mm cannon options.
What engine does the Arquus VAB Mk3 use? +
The Arquus VAB Mk3 is powered by the Renault MD7 turbo diesel.
What is the Arquus VAB Mk3 used for? +
The Arquus VAB Mk3 is a ifv / apc typically used for troop transport, infantry combat, reconnaissance, command control.
How much does the Arquus VAB Mk3 cost? +
Arquus VAB Mk3: Unit cost not publicly disclosed. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.
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