Nexter Aravis

The Aravis is an infantry mobility vehicle developed and built by French company Nexter. An order for 15 Aravis vehicles was placed by the Délégation Générale pour l'Armement in April 2009 for use by the French Army as a reconnaissance and escort vehicle for engineer units. Deliveries for the initial order began in January 2010.[1]

Aravis
A Nexter Aravis on display with a machine gun mounted on top
TypeInfantry Mobility Vehicle
Place of originFrance
Service history
Used byFrance
WarsWar in Afghanistan
2019 Gabonese coup d'état attempt
Production history
ManufacturerNexter
Produced2009-present
Specifications
Mass12.5 t (13.8 short tons)
Length6 m (20 ft)
Width2.5 m (8.2 ft)
Height2.5 m (8.2 ft)
Crew2-6
Main
armament
Remote weapon station
(varies by customer/requirement)
EngineMercedes-Benz OM 924
218 hp (163 kW)
TransmissionAutomatic
Operational
range
750 km (470 mi)
Maximum speed 100 km/h (62 mph)

Design

The Aravis' chassis is based on the Unimog U5000 chassis. The total internal volume for the vehicle is 9.5m3 with 8m3 of that under full armoured protection. The Aravis can be equipped for a variety of roles, including patrol vehicle, ambulance, and command and control vehicle.[1]

Protection

The Aravis was designed with protection against mines, improvised explosive devices, 14.5mm anti-armour rounds, and 155mm artillery bursts in mind, meeting full STANAG 4596 Level 4 specifications. Like many other mine-protected vehicles, the Aravis was built with a V-hull intended to deflect as much energy as possible from detonations beneath the vehicle away from the vehicle. Nexter has patented the modular hull armour used on the Aravis under the name "Safepro". The vehicle has survived detonations of 50 kg (110 lb) of TNT at a distance of 5 m (16 ft) in testing.[1][2]

Armament

The Aravis' primary armament is housed in a remote weapon station. Armament can vary based on the customer's specifications, but the vehicle has been displayed with a Selex 12.7mm machine gun mount, and Nexter has developed the ARX 20 remote weapon station, which features a 20mm M621 cannon, for use with the Aravis. The ARX 20 can also be fitted with the Pilar anti-sniper system.[1][2]

Mobility

The Aravis is capable of speeds of up to 100 km/h on roads, and is said to have a "high standard of cross-country and urban maneoeuvring capability".[1] Without preparation, the vehicle can ford up 1m of water. The Aravis uses are Michelin 365/80R 20 152 K with run-flat and central tire inflation systems. In terms of strategic and operational mobility, the vehicle is transportable by aircraft equivalent to the C-130 Hercules or larger.

Operational history

The French Army deployed 11 Aravis in Afghanistan (from 2010 to the French departure)[3] and, from 2016, 6 of them in Mali, as part of the Operation Barkhane. In both cases they were used by Génie (Military engineering) units for route clearance.[4] An Aravis of the French Army was also spotted in Syria during the Deir ez-Zor campaign.[5]

The Nexter Aravis is known to be used in the 2019 Gabonese coup d'état attempt by Gabonese Republican Guard forces to take on rogue Gabonese soldiers.[6]

Operators
Map with Aravis operators in blue

References
  1. "Aravis Armoured Vehicle". Army-Technology.com. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
  2. Pierre Tran (15 June 2008). "Nexter Unveils 4-by-4, 20mm Turret".
  3. Chapleau, Philippe (11 November 2010). "Onze Aravis hautement protégés en Afghanistan" (in French).
  4. Chapleau, Philippe (9 April 2016). "De l'Aravis pour l'opération Barkhane: le 13e RG va déstocker six véhicules" (in French).
  5. Nasr, Wassim (13 September 2018). "Syrie : une photo révèle la présence de l'armée française à Deir Ezzor" (in French).
  6. de Cherisey, Erwan (9 January 2019). "Gabon's Republican Guard uses Aravis vehicles in counter-coup operation". Jane's Defence Weekly. Archived from the original on 9 January 2019.
  7. "Albanian army was trained during two weeks with the armoured vehicle Nexter Aravis 2911124". armyrecognition.com. 29 November 2012.
  8. Binnie, Jeremy; de Cherisey, Erwan (2017). "New-model African armies" (PDF). Jane's. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 June 2017.
  9. "L'Aravis saoudien". forcesoperations.com (in French). 22 February 2012. Archived from the original on 23 September 2013. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
  10. "Trade Registers". Armstrade.sipri.org. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  11. "Armement : Berlin bloque deux gros contrats français en Arabie Saoudite". Les Échos (in French). 21 December 2012.

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