Three major defence players in Belgium to service army’s armoured vehicles for next 30 years

A significant contract has been awarded to a consortium of three major defense players in Belgium: John Cockerill, FN Herstal and Thales, who will maintain the country’s armoured vehicles for the next 30 years, reports RTBF.

The contract guarantees Belgium a certain autonomy in the service and maintenance of its vehicles, which will take place at the military sites of Rocourt, Marche and Leopoldsburg. 

The Arsenal of Rocourt near Liège already hosts the rolling stock and armament competence centre, considered the largest of its kind in Belgium.

It is a contract that might become even more important considering the ongoing military investment by Belgian Defense for modern equipment. New armoured vehicles, the Griffon and Jaguar, are progressively being acquired as part of the CaMo programme. This is a strategic partnership between Belgium and France which facilitates collaboration in the operational field. 

Belgium ordered at least 500 armoured Griffon in 2018, 2022 and 2025, and is currently waiting for the delivery of 60 Jaguars.

The Griffon and the Jaguar provide varied and complementary tasks. The first is a multifunction 6x6 armoured vehicle destined for transporting and assisting infantry as close as possible to the front. Meanwhile, the Jaguar is an armoured reconnaissance vehicle. More heavily armed than the Griffon, it is capable of engaging the enemy if necessary, and is presented as more secure and capable of operating in dense urban areas or difficult mountainous terrain.

The contract has been given the green light by the European Commission, which oversees fair competition within the union. It concluded that the awarding of the contract did not raise any issues within the European Economic Area.

The European executive resorted to a simplified procedure to greenlight this contract. “This authorisation illustrates the Commission’s willingness to reduce the regulatory burden on companies and to quickly approve an operation that supports the EU defense sector without harming competition in Europe,” the Commission explained.

Photo: Jaguar ©Belgian Defence Facebook