Véhicule blindé de combat d'infanterie
Country of origin
France
France
ManufacturerKNDS France
The véhicule blindé de combat d'infanterie (English: armoured infantry fighting vehicle) or VBCI is a French wheeled Infantry fighting vehicle designed and manufactured by GIAT Industries (now KNDS France) and Renault Trucks Defense (now Arquus) to replace the AMX-10P. The first units entered active service with the French Army in 2008. A total of 630 units were ordered, and full delivery was completed in 2018. They are available in two core variants, the VCI infantry fighting vehicle and the VPC command post vehicle.
The VBCI is built on an aluminium hull which carries a modular THD steel and titanium armour that can be replaced in the field. The 8×8 wheeled design was chosen to make the VBCI more comfortable as well as easier and less costly to maintain on war theaters than a tracked vehicle would be, while giving it sufficient mobility to complement the Leclerc tank. The VBCI is also designed to be transportable by the Airbus A400M.
The VBCI is built on an aluminium hull which carries a modular THD steel and titanium armour that can be replaced in the field. The 8×8 wheeled design was chosen to make the VBCI more comfortable as well as easier and less costly to maintain on war theaters than a tracked vehicle would be, while giving it sufficient mobility to complement the Leclerc tank. The VBCI is also designed to be transportable by the Airbus A400M.
