The light armored reconnaissance vehicle VBL (Véhicule Blindé Léger) on a 4x4 wheeled chassis was developed and manufactured by the French company Panhard in 1988. It is also referred to as M-11. This vehicle is intended for the French Rapid Reaction Force and is also exported. The VBL entered service with the French army in 1990. By December 1995, the French army had already ordered 922 VBL vehicles. This order included prototypes, pre-production prototypes and test vehicles, as well as two long-wheelbase models. To date, over 2,400 of these reconnaissance vehicles have been produced, both for the local army and for export. Currently, the VBL is in service with 16 countries around the world. VBL has been used in many peacekeeping operations. For the first time, VBL was used in Yugoslavia, where it has proven itself very well as a multifunctional highly mobile armored vehicle.
VBL provides protection (STANAG level 1) against 7.62 × 51 NATO small arms bullets, shrapnel from artillery shells and antipersonnel mines. The standard equipment includes a system of protection against weapons of mass destruction and passive night vision devices. The vehicle is equipped with a 7.62mm or 12.7mm machine gun on the roof as standard. The vehicle, equipped with an ATGM, has a crew of three.
The vehicle is equipped with a one-piece commander's hatch on the roof that opens back. Around the hatch there is a ring mount for the installation of a 7.62 mm machine gun. Protection is provided by an all-welded steel casing with variable thickness from 5 to 11 mm. The engine is located at the front and the fighting compartment at the rear of the vehicle. Each side has one forward-opening door with a small bulletproof window. A central tire pressure regulating system is standard.
The car provides high mobility on the ground and has full amphibious capabilities after a short preparation (you must manually connect the propeller drive) and develops a water speed of 5.4 km / h thanks to a single propeller located in the stern. It is transportable by helicopter and medium military transport aircraft C-130, C-160 and A400M. Carrying capacity is 1 ton, including crew and weapons.
Panhard offers over 20 VBL modifications, equipped with various weapons, but the French army only uses a few of them. Examples of vehicle modifications:
VBL MILAN, a medium-range anti-tank missile carrier (up to 2000 meters) with one MILAN ATGM launcher with a MIRA thermal imaging sight and six missiles;
VBL EXYX, a short-range anti-tank missile carrier (up to 600 meters) with one Eryx ATGM launcher with MIRABEL thermal imaging goggles and four missiles. Additional armament is a 7.62 mm machine gun (1400 rounds) with a swivel mount;
VBLVBL TOW, a long-range anti-tank missile carrier (up to 3750 m) with one TOW launcher and four missiles, which is in service with Greece. Equipped with one or two VHF transmitters / receivers, internal wired and radio communication. Additional armament is a 7.62 mm machine gun (2000 rounds) with a swivel mount;
VBL AT4CS, an AT4CS single-launcher anti-tank missile launcher designed for very short distances (250 m). Equipped with one or two VHF transmitters / receivers, internal wired and radio communication. Ready-to-use 84mm AT4CS are capable of penetrating 550mm armor (armored vehicles without additional protection) or 1.5m of concrete. Additional armament is a 7.62 mm machine gun (1400 rounds) with a swivel mount;
VBL CANON, equipped with a turret with a 20 mm MK 20 202 Rh automatic cannon (rate of fire: 1000 rounds / min, altitude: -10 ° to +45 °, ammunition 260, loaded 160, sight: ZEISS PERI-Z-16, additional equipment towers: laser rangefinder, thermal imager). Radio equipment: 1 VHF transmitter / receiver;
VBL TOURELLE FERMEE, equipped with a remotely controlled turret armed with 12.7 mm / 7.62 mm machine guns or a 40 mm automatic grenade launcher (600 rounds of ammunition, day / night sight, laser rangefinder). Radio equipment: 1 or 2 VHF transmitter / receiver;
VB2L Poste De COMMANDEMENT, team car. Equipped with ultra high frequency radio communication (two PR4G radios), high frequency radio communication operating over long distances and crew intercom. Its armament is a 7.62-mm machine gun (1400 rounds) on a swivel mount. Special equipment: a workstation with a map board, a folding table, additional batteries to provide radio communications and auxiliary systems for an additional 8 hours and a folding seat for the fourth crew member;
VBL RECO, reconnaissance vehicle. Equipped with one VHF transmitter / receiver (French version), 12.7-mm machine gun on a swivel mount, covered with armor plates on the sides. Additional equipment: multi-barreled anti-personnel grenade launcher FLY-K (PL 127) with a rate of fire of 375 rounds / min, an initial speed of 244 m / s, an effective range in areas of 2200 m, against a point target of 1500 m, a radius of guaranteed shrapnel damage 15 m and 50 mm armor penetration;
ULTRAV M11, a radiation, chemical and biological reconnaissance vehicle for the US Army.
VBL ALBI-MISTRAL, a twin-turret air defense vehicle with six fire-forget MISTRAL anti-aircraft missiles. Radio equipment: Two VHF transmitter / receiver PR4G (1 for tactical communication, 1 for data transmission of the firing system). Additional armament is a 7.62 mm machine gun (1200 rounds) on the floor with a swivel mount;
Tactical and technical characteristics
Basic version armament: 7.62 mm or 12.7 mm machine gun
User country: Benin, Botswana, Cambodia, Cameroon, Djibouti, France, Gabon, Greece, Indonesia, Kuwait, Oman, Mexico, Niger, Nigeria, Portugal, Qatar, Rwanda, Togo, etc. Georgia uses VBL in Afghanistan.
Developer: Panhard company
Equipment: Central tire pressure regulating system, gas spray, floodlight, air conditioner
Protection: STANAG Level 1 (7.62x51 bullets and shell fragments)
Combat weight: from 3.7 to 4 tons
Power / weight ratio: 24 hp / t
Speed: Road:> 100 km / h, on water: 5.4 km / h
Crew: commander, pilot, radio operator-gunner
Cruising on the road at a speed of 60 km / h: 600 km and 1000 km with 2 additional 20 liter canisters.
Fuel consumption: 16 l / 100 km
Dimensions of the short VBL (excluding additional equipment and weapons): Length 3.80 m, Width 2.02 m, Height 1.70 m
Maximum slope: 50%
Lateral tilt: 30%
Fording depth: 0.90 m
Overcome vertical obstacle: 0.50 m
Engine: Diesel four-cylinder Peugeot XD3T turbocharged engine, power 95 hp DIN (70 kW) at 2250 rpm and 105 hp at 4150 rpm.
Transmission: ZF automatic three-speed gearbox
Transfer case: two gears
Suspension: independent pneumatic, power steering, permanent four-wheel drive
