France is famous for its school of wheeled armored vehicles. Before the start of World War II, successful samples of wheeled cannon armored vehicles were created in the country, after the end of the conflict, work in this direction continued and led to the creation of unique combat vehicles with good tactical and technical characteristics. At the same time, not only heavy wheeled armored vehicles with cannon armament were developed in France, but also light models, an example of which is the Panhard VBL armored vehicles in service. In the near future, they will be replaced by a new innovative armored vehicle with a hybrid power plant - the Arquus Scarabee armored car.
The manufacturer of the new armored car for the French army is Arquus. It is a new brand of the company with a long history of Renault Trucks Defense. The name change of the company took place only in 2018. It is under this brand that French military products of the Acmat and Panhard brands are produced today. The new brand Arquus was formed by combining two Latin words: arma (weapon) and equus (horse), thus, Arquus symbolizes "war horse". Considering that the company is engaged in the development of military wheeled vehicles and wheeled armored vehicles, the name is quite relevant. At the same time, Arquus remains one of the main partners of the French armed forces with more than 100 years of history and experience in the creation of wheeled military equipment.
The Scarab and its Market Prospects
The new armored car of the Arquus company, which is offered to the French military, as well as for export, received its own name Scarabee. At the same time, the military is in no hurry to buy an armored car developed by French designers. It is assumed that in the French army, the novelty will be able to replace light armored vehicles of the Panhard VBL family no earlier than 2025. This has already been officially announced, but a lot could change over the next six years. It is worth noting that Panhard VBL armored vehicles with 4x4 wheel arrangement were developed by the French company Panhard General Defense in the mid-1980s. The car turned out to be quite successful, more than 2300 units were produced in total, of which about 1500 were in service with the French army, the rest were exported.
It is known that the client, determined to receive new armored vehicles from Arquus, is still one. At the same time, the company is working to find foreign customers for its new products. There is a possibility that even before the start of deliveries to the French armed forces, the hybrid armored car will go to some other country. For the first time in public, a new French armored car was demonstrated in June 2018. The debut took place at the international defense exhibition Eurosatory 2018. At the exhibition, Arquus for the first time presented data on the new development, presenting a light wheeled armored vehicle Arquus Scarabee with a 4x4 wheel arrangement. Then it became known that the new armored vehicle had already entered the stage of factory testing, and a prototype was also built.
Since the debut of the new combat vehicle took place only last year, it is difficult to seriously talk about the export potential of the new product. But given a number of innovative solutions implemented in the armored car by designers, the relatively low cost of such armored vehicles and the rich French experience in the creation of armored vehicles, it can be assumed that the car will find its buyer outside France. Especially considering the history of French wheeled vehicles that have been successfully exported to other countries. The armored vehicle can find buyers in the market of Eastern Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and other regions of the world. It is expected that the armored car will be of interest primarily to developing countries.
Technical features of the armored car Arquus Scarabee
A feature of the new items are unique technical innovations, which include a hybrid power plant, as well as controllability on all four wheels. According to the assurances of the developers, the new light armored car will be able to move sideways, which significantly expands the possibilities of its combat use and increases survivability on the battlefield. According to the creators, the new Arquus Scarabee is designed to overcome even strong off-road conditions and is able to carry heavy loads, solving many military tasks.
But the first and most important feature of the car is the hybrid power plant, which includes a powerful 300 hp diesel engine and an electric motor with up to 150 hp. Such an installation not only increases the environmental friendliness of the car, but also increases the run distance, and, if necessary, can be suitable for solving specific military tasks. For example, if necessary, the driver can switch to an electric motor, which will make the car almost silent. This mode of operation is perfect for reconnaissance missions. In this mode, you will only learn about the approach of the Arquus Scarabee armored vehicles to you by the noise of the rubber in contact with the road surface.
An important feature of the armored car is that the power plant has moved to the rear of the vehicle. And in the traditional place in front, under the hood, there is a spacious luggage compartment. The use of composite armor and a monocoque type body allowed the developers of the armored car to keep within 6, 6 tons, according to other sources, the combat weight of the armored car does not exceed 8 tons. It is also known that the carrying capacity of the novelty is estimated at about 1800 kg. At the same time, the booking class and the protection provided to the crew are still unknown.
The features of the Arquus Scarabee hull also include the location of the driver's seat strictly in the center of the combat vehicle. At the disposal of the driver is a three-section windshield, which is located in a "semicircle". Another feature of the novelty is sliding, rather than swing doors, as in the vast majority of modern cars. The developers argue that this solution has improved ergonomics and simplifies the process of getting the crew out of the car. True, experts note that such a design may have its drawbacks. If the guides are deformed by an impact, explosion, or any debris, the door can jam. Like its predecessor Panhard VBL, the Scarab is designed to carry four people, including the driver. Seats for three fighters are located behind the driver's seat. It is known that the car has received a modern digital dashboard and all-round cameras, which allows the driver to always know what is happening around the car.
The armored car is a classic 4x4 off-road vehicle. The car received large enough 20-inch tires 365/80 R 20 with a developed tread pattern, which facilitate off-road driving. In addition, a unique solution is the steering rear suspension. The driver can control not only the front wheels, but also the rear ones. This allows, if necessary, to move even sideways, as well as in any way that the driver deems necessary. This decision affects both the maneuverability and survivability of the vehicle in battle, and the cross-country ability, allowing it to overcome even serious off-road conditions.
French "Beetle" can get weapons
Obviously, the new lightweight wheeled armored car will be able to perform not only transport functions, transporting soldiers and cargo from place to place. The machine can be used for reconnaissance and patrolling the area, escorting columns. For this reason, the Arquus Scarabee armored car can be equipped with various weapons. One of the options for the armament of the armored vehicle has already been demonstrated at exhibitions.
This provides for the location on the roof of the armored car of a light remote-controlled combat module Hornet 30, equipped with a rapid-fire 30-mm automatic cannon. The presence of a 30-mm automatic cannon equates the firing capabilities of a small wheeled armored vehicle with some BMPs, for example, the BMP-2, the most massive in the Russian army. Obviously, if necessary, other options for armament of the vehicle will be presented, including conventional and large-caliber machine guns, automatic grenade launchers or modern ATGMs at the request of the customer.
