The Belgian Council of Ministers of October 25, 2018 approved the signing of an intergovernmental agreement with France concerning the establishment of a strategic partnership in the field of land mobility under the CaMo program.

France and Belgium will develop close cooperation between the land forces of both countries. In this context, Belgium is planning the complete retrofitting of its motorized capacity through the acquisition of 382 GRIFFON multi-role armored vehicles (VBMR) and 60 JAGUAR armored reconnaissance and combat vehicle (EBRC), whose industrial mastery of work will be provided by Nexter Group.

Nexter, a company of KNDS Group, European leader in land defense, has been chosen to respond to the CaMo program leading to the acquisition by Belgium of 382 VBMR-GRIFFON in different configurations and 60 EBRC-JAGUAR. These enhanced information vehicles will be identical to those of France, which maximizes cooperation and allows interoperability that can lead to integration between the two Armed Forces. This acquisition is a strategic step in the cooperation between the Belgian Land component and the French Army, and marks a milestone in the construction of the Europe of defense.

Nexter, system integrator architect of land defense and supplier of all combat vehicles of the French Army already equips the Belgian Land component with 105LG1, 105 mm guns. To respond to the CaMo program, the Group will rely on the know-how of its teams, its mastery of complex systems (LECLERC tank, JAGUAR design authority, VBCI, CAESAR, ...), and its central role in SCORPION French Armored Multi-Role vehicle (EBMR) program, alongside its French industrial cooperatives, primarily Arquus and Thales, grouped together in a temporary business venture.

In parallel, Nexter has signed partnership agreements with several Belgian companies. It is in this context that the final assembly of the VBMR-GRIFFON will be done by CMI Defense in Belgium and that the turret of the Belgian vehicle will be produced by FN Herstal. MECAR, the Belgian Nexter Group subsidiary, will be in charge of producing part of the ammunition.

Stéphane Mayer, Chairman and CEO of Nexter “welcomes the cooperation between Belgium and France, and between the two Ministries of Defense. The Belgian Directorate General Material Resources (DGMR) and the French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) have set up a joint office to conduct the CaMo acquisition program. I thank the two defense ministries for their trust. It is a great honor to be at the side of the Belgian Land component, with the supply of its next combat equipment and participating in this important new step in the construction of the Europe of Defense”. 

Nexter, the leading French land defense company and third European player in the ammunition sector is part of the KNDS Group. It is dedicated to meet the needs of the French land forces and of Nations on an international scale. The scope of its business includes as well the supply of weapon systems and ammunition for air and naval forces.

Nexter also provides systems and protection solutions in the field of homeland security. The group continues to apply its international development policy with 58% of the order intake in 2017 intended for the export market.

In France, Nexter is fully committed to meeting the objectives of the SCORPION program, through the upgrade of the Leclerc tank and the development of the future VBMR Griffon and EBRC Jaguar vehicles within the temporary business venture between Nexter, Thales and Arquus, as well as the Lightweight VBMR.

The group’s range of products also includes ARAVIS®, TITUS® and VBCI armored vehicles, CAESAR®, TRAJAN® and 105LG1 artillery systems, smart ammunition (BONUS), many equipment, as well as customer service, support and revaluation.

Nexter’s 2017 turnover amounted to €900 million, of which 18% is allocated to Research and Development activities.