Belgian army presents Griffon vehicles

The Belgian army's new Griffon vehicle pictured in front of the Piranha III it is replacing during a military exercise at Camp Bastin in Stockem, southern Belgium. (Benoît Denet)

On 9 March, the Belgian army's new Griffon 6×6 Véhicule Blindé Multi-Rôle (VBMR) heavy multirole armoured vehicles were presented to the press during a military exercise at Camp Bastin in Stockem, southern Belgium.

Under the Franco-Belgian Capacité Motorisée (Motorised Capability: CaMo) programme, Belgium initially ordered 392 Griffon vehicles under the CaMo 1 contract. A second tranche, CaMo 2, involves the procurement of 24 Griffon Mortier Embarqué Pour l'Appui au Contact (MEPAC) 6×6 self-propelled 120 mm mortar carriers. CaMo 3 will add 92 more vehicles to the fleet.

Eight vehicles are currently operated by Belgium's Infantry School in Stockem, with two others assigned for training to the Royal Non-Commissioned Officer School in Tournai. Other vehicles have already been delivered to the Bataljon Bevrijding/5e Linie (Liberation Battalion/5th Line) based in Bourg-Léopold, following familiarisation training in France.

This unit is expected to become the first fully operational Belgian battalion equipped with the Griffon armoured personnel carrier in the second half of 2027. A total of six battalions are planned to be equipped with 36 vehicles each by 2030, allowing Belgium to deploy a complete motorised brigade by then. For infantry units, the fleet will have fusilier (troop transport), MEPAC mortar, Missile Moyenne Portée (MMP) medium-range missile anti-tank, and command post versions.

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