In its Angers facility Scania France started production of the V3P/Vampire multipurpose carrier vehicle that will become the platform of the French Army Very Short Range Air Defence (VSHORAD) units
On May 19th, Scania France and its SPAD (SCANIA Public And Defense) division opened their doors to EDR On-Line at their Angers production facility. In a state-of-the-art, automated, and robotic production unit, staffed by skilled and professional teams, more than 500 trucks roll off the assembly lines each week, averaging one truck every eight minutes.
Chassis and cabs are assembled on-site for the production of tractors and road and construction vehicles, including a special vehicle in military livery: the Vampire.
SCANIA has already made significant contributions to the French Army with the CARAPACE (Camion Ravitailleur Pétrolier de l’Avant à Capacité Étendue, extended capacity forward fuel supply truck) and other civilian-based trucks militarized for the Engineer Corps, such as the PFM component carrier tractor and the C3P10 fuel tanker. Recently, the SPAD department distinguished itself by winning the contract for the VRP (Véhicule de Ravitaillement dans la Profondeur, deep refuelling Vehicle) for the 4ème RHFS (4ème Régiment d’Hélicoptères des Forces Spéciales, 4th special forces helicopter regiment).
Today marks the start of a new market for SPAD with the production of the Vampire, which will be known in French Army service with the acronym V3P (Véhicule Porteur Polyvalent PAMELA) multipurpose carrier vehicle designed to replace the older Renault TRM2000 and ACMAT VLRA 4.25 vehicles that carried the previous generation of the Mistral surface-to-air missile system.
The new Vampire vehicle will be multipurpose; in addition to the new Mistral system, it will be able to carry a 20 mm anti-drone cannon and a radar developed in cooperation with SAAB, thus becoming the standard platform for French Army VSHORAD air defence units.
After assembly on standard production lines and approximately 15 hours of conversion to military equipment in a specialized workshop, it will be ready for delivery to regiments, who will then install the appropriate weaponry.
Production began a few weeks ago, with three vehicles being produced weekly, aiming for a total of 100 vehicles by the end of the year. Few, if any, modifications are required to the assembly line, as the Vampire is built using 90% of the existing equipment on the production line. This pragmatic and rational approach demonstrates how to integrate a military product line with constant adaptation to different conflicts, and how to increase factory output and flow to meet the demands of a client like the French Army.
The SPAD department also plans to develop an on-site specialization in armored cabins, a task it previously outsourced.
In parallel, discussions are already underway to expand the factory’s footprint and meet future increased production demands, potentially incorporating a wartime economy model with vehicles specifically designed for the SPAD unit’s military.
Photos by J. Hadaceck
