France to Supply 50 Bastion Armored Vehicles to Ukraine
French defense company Arquus will deliver 50 Bastion armored vehicles to Ukraine under a larger 61-unit contract aimed at strengthening troop mobility and survivability on the battlefield.
This follows an earlier transfer of 11 Bastions already deployed in Ukraine, alongside VAB armored vehicles previously retired from French service. The new delivery was confirmed in the latest report of the John Cockerill Group, which includes Arquus. Neither costs nor delivery schedules have been disclosed.
The Bastion APC
The Bastion is a 4×4 armored personnel carrier with seating for two crew members and eight troops. Built on the VLRA chassis, it can serve in multiple roles such as troop transport, reconnaissance, command, and ambulance missions.
It offers STANAG 4569 ballistic and mine-blast protection, has a maximum weight of 12.5 tons, and can be airlifted by a C-130 Hercules. With a top speed of 110 km/h and a range of 1,000 km, it can be armed with 7.62mm or 12.7mm machine guns mounted either on a ring or a remote weapon station.
