Land Army: Proposals to buy and upgrade armored combat vehicles

In the context of the major multinational ‘Olympic Cooperation-24’ exercise held last week in Petrohori Xanthi, the French VBCI type combat vehicles “stole” the impressions, alongside the tanks and helicopters developed by the . In fact, their presence brought to the fore the relevant proposal submitted by the French side to the Armed Forces, concerning 200 armed armoured Philoctes type combat vehicles and an additional 50 vehicles of the same type for other needs of the Motor Infantry, the Engineer and logistics. The proposal has been updated in the hands of Greek executives since the end of 2023 and includes a number of parameters such as the possibility of financing by banks in France and also co-production involving the domestic defence industry. France’s proposal In the context of the Athens Military Cooperation Agreement with Paris, the possibility of delivering second-hand VBCI from the reserves of the French Land Army is also considered. The GSC executives both last year and this year were able to see in the field the possibilities of the French VBCI and draw valuable conclusions, as to whether it can meet the needs of the Motor Units and, above all, to assist the tanks in any kind of mission. They were used during the “Olympic Cooperation” last year and this year in high-precision shooting scenarios, despite having developed high speed on a difficult route in the exercise area, following the Leopard 2 Hel of the XXV Armoured Brigade. The “Philoctetes” version proposed for the Land Army is the most modern version of the VBCI. The imposing wheeled vehicle weighs 32 tons and has a 600 horsepower engine and is capable of crossing a 1,2-metre water barrier without preparation. The modernisation of M-113 The military staff are considering a number of proposals to modernise M-113, while expecting a “come back” from Americans, following the rejection of used Bradleys due to high costs, which touched 8 million euros per TOMA. An important parameter remains the number of Bradleys, which can be granted by the US to the Land Army. The proposals made by Israeli companies Rafael and Elbit remain at the heart of interest. The two companies have presented to the staff of the GSC proposals for upgrading the old armoured transport vehicles, which concern armaments, armor, electronic systems and engine. Recently Rafael has come back with a renewed proposal, in new terms, adapted to the operational requirements of the Land Army. The proposal reportedly includes a series of “packages” depending on the cost of modernization. The participation of the domestic defence industry is included in any case. A proposal to upgrade M-113 in highly attractive terms has been submitted to the GSC and the Greek company EODH, in collaboration with two other companies from European countries. The proposal concerns step upgrades, which concern engine, armour, vehicle interior configuration and, in particular, the addition of remote-controlled turret with multiple weapons options. The Land Army has about 2,900 armored vehicles of type M-113A1/ A2, which are used by all Motor Infantry Units and not only. Source: OnAlert.gr – Reportage: Kostas Sarikas