In a series of recent events, the French Army is set to receive eight new Griffon vehicles equipped with MEPAC, a 120mm mortar, in addition to 30 CAESAr artillery trucks donated to Ukrainian forces.
Griffon Vehicles Upgrade
The Griffon vehicles, expected to be delivered to the 11th Marine Artillery Regiment, are part of the 2024 Finance Law's strategy. This move is expected to significantly enhance the firepower of the French army.
The new Griffon vehicles come fitted with a 120 mm MEPAC (Mortar Capability Enhancement) mortar. It is a significant upgrade from the Thales 2R2M 120mm mortar currently in use. This upgrade comes with several impressive capabilities such as firing ten shots per minute, covering a target range of 8-13 km, and an ability to setup and breakdown swiftly to avoid counter-battery fire.
These Griffon vehicles require only four artillerymen to operate the MEPAC. Notably, the Griffon MEPAC features a remotely operated 7.62mm turret and the ATLAS artillery system for automating ground-to-ground shots. This advanced feature set is expected to provide an upper hand to the regiment in various combat scenarios.
CAESAr Artillery Trucks
The recent donation of 30 CAESAr artillery trucks to Ukrainian forces has led to a decrease in the French army's number of these units, currently standing at 40. This number is not sufficient for training and other potential contingencies.
As a means to address this shortfall, the delivery of replacement CAESAr trucks to the French army is currently under progress. The ultimate goal is to restore the stock of CAESAr units to 76 by the end of 2023.