Griffon VOA (OP)

The Véhicule Blindé Multi-Rôle Griffon ( English: Multirole Armoured Vehicle Griffon) or VBMR Griffon is a French six-wheel multi-purpose armoured personnel carrier developed and manufactured by KNDS France (formerly Nexter Systems), Arquus (formerly Renault Trucks Defense) and Thales. The vehicle entered service in 2019 and is, alongside the four-wheel VBMR-L Serval co-developed by KNDS France and Texelis, the successor of the Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé (VAB). Components of the French SCORPION programme, the two vehicles are expected to fulfill a wide range of tasks and thus consist of several variants and subvariants. An on-board 120 mm mortar system based on the Griffon, designated Griffon MEPAC, has notably been developed.

Developed under France's ambitious Scorpion modernization program by a consortium of Nexter, Arquus, and Thales, the Griffon VOA (Véhicule d'Observation de l'Artillerie) was designed to replace the aging VAB-based observation platforms. Equipped with a retractable optronic mast, surveillance radar, and laser designators integrated into the ATLAS artillery fire control system, the variant began deliveries to the French Army in 2022. While the wider Griffon vehicle family saw its first operational deployment to the Sahel region in 2021, the VOA variant is currently being fielded to artillery regiments to enable digitized, collaborative combat. It remains in active production and service as a critical asset for French tactical reconnaissance and precision strike coordination.