The French Army has received more than 200 Serval Armored Vehicles, a significant milestone in the Military Programming Law (LPM) 2024-30 plan.
Under the LPM 2024-30, the French Army is slated to be equipped with a total of 2038 Serval armored vehicles by 2035. Within this count, 1060 will be incorporated into the Light Tactical Multi-purpose Protected Vehicle (VLTP-P) program. The remaining quantity may increase subject to decision on replacing the Armored Intervention Vehicle (VIB) used by the air and space army's protection squadrons.
Serval Purchases Under the SCORPION Program
The General Directorate of Armaments (DGA) has secured 784 Serval vehicles as part of the SCORPION program. A significant order of 420 vehicles was placed in December for a total of approximately 500 million euros.
First Delivery and Subsequent Deliveries
The first Serval was handed over to the CAPCIA-51st RI in Mourmelon in May 2022. This regiment's role includes verification of the newly received armored vehicles' functionality and providing initial training to its future operators. Notably, the 3rd Regiment of Marine Infantry Paratroopers (RPIMa) is the first unit to be fully equipped with these vehicles.
As of March 7, the DGA confirmed the delivery of the 200th Serval to the French Army on January 29. An additional eight units have been supplied under the SCORPION program since then, making a total of 19 vehicles from the expected 103 in 2024.
The SERVAL and its Role Within the SCORPION Program
The SERVAL is a new addition to the range of vehicles developed under the SCORPION program, and it is designed to replace the VAB. It is a 4×4 armored vehicle, produced by Nexter and Texelis, and weighs between 15 to 17 tons. The SERVAL is equipped with the same technology as other vehicles in the SCORPION program. This includes a remotely operated turret armed with a 12.7mm machine gun and threat detectors. The vehicle can accommodate eight soldiers equipped with the FELIN system, alongside its two crew members.
Sub-Variants of the Serval
Apart from deliveries, the DGA is also responsible for qualifying the different sub-variants of the Serval. These sub-variants include the “Armored Patrol Vehicle” (VPB), “Surveillance, support, intelligence and reconnaissance” (SA2R), “Tactical Communication Node” (NCT), and “Electronic Warfare” (GE) versions. The infantry, engineering, 81 mortar, 120 mortar, command post, medium-range missile, very short-range air-to-ground, supply, artillery observation, and medical sub-variants of the VPB version have been qualified so far.