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Impressive March of Bastion Armoured Vehicle
The onward march of the Bastion, one of the most renowned armoured vehicles of the African theatres, is as impressive as its evolution.
To answer its clients’ specific demands, which requested a robust and highly mobile armoured vehicle, Arquus developed the Bastion in 2012.
After a very active year in 2019, during which the factory produced more than 1,350 vehicles, among which 1,200 VT4 liaison vehicles for the French Army, Arquus Saint-Nazaire announced in March 2020 having reached the mark of 500 Bastion produced.
That industrial achievement, a tribute to the Bastion, also crowned the VLRA (Véhicule Léger de Reconnaissance et d’Appui, Liaison, Reconnaissance and Support Vehicle VLRA, a revolutionary and historical vehicle.
There has been no looking back.
From VLRA to Bastion
The background begins with the Volvo Group, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of trucks. Volvo Group includes brands as prestigious as Volvo, Renault Trucks or Mack. The Volvo Group is organised into 10 business areas (BA), including BA Trucks and Bus, Engines, Finance, and Defence. Faced with growing geostrategic complexity and to better meet customers’ needs, Renault Trucks Defense, Acmat and Panhard have chosen to combine their expertise and join forces under a single brand: Arquus.
At the Bastion’s origins, and at the heart of Arquus Saint-Nazaire’s history, as heir to ACMAT (Ateliers de Construction Mécanique de l’Atlantique), lies the legendary VLRA.
Born of the Legueu methods, the VLRA has been equipping armies since 1967, starting with the Légion Etrangère and the Troupes de Marine (Navy Troops, part of the French Army), but also with the French Special Forces.
The VLRA has built over the years a unique reputation for obstacle crossing. With its autonomy of 1,400 kilometres, its water tank and its endurance, the VLRA is the mount of choice for great raids and exceptional expeditions, the true heir to the Long Range Desert Patrols.
After more than 50 years of service, more than 600 VLRAs are still in action in the Army, in more than 75 different versions, which proves the vehicle’s endurance and high versatility.
The latest VLRA version increases the payload by more than one tonne, optimises the cabin ergonomics, thus creating a third forward seat, and reduces the turning radius. The Bastion is built on this version’s chassis. In total, more than 1,100 chassis have been produced by Arquus for the new VLRA or the Bastion since 2009.
Priority to Protect Soldiers
Bastion is a modular range of 12-tonne armoured vehicles. Its chassis, developed on the VLRA 4x4 base, offers a combination of tactical performance, robustness and simplified maintenance. Bastion APC is economically built with common parts of VLRA, enabling easy maintenance and uncomplicated logistics. The mechanical and automotive components carry the basic design of a standard VLRA. It incorporates blast protection technology with the mobility of a light armoured vehicle.
The Bastion APC is multi-mission capable and is ideal for reconnaissance, forward command and control, patrol, security, escort, route clearance support, peacekeeping, EOD, and urban and close-quarters operations. The features of the Bastion APC combine excellent off-road mobility and performance with high-level protection.
Arquus has created a simple and robust solution with Bastion, ready to industrialise, easy to support and offering a wide commonality with all existing VLRA fleets all over the world. Bastion’s armoured hull offers a large internal volume, as well as a protection against ballistic aggression, mines and Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), according to the STANAG 4569 standard. The Bastion can host a full 8-soldier combat group, as well as comprehensive equipment thanks to its large internal volume.
Popularity in Africa
Already in service in several African armies, where it is renowned for its simplicity of use and ruggedness, the Bastion has been chosen by the G5 Sahel to equip some of its members’ armies in their fight against armed terrorist groups. Taking into account these latest orders, the Bastion has reached 500+ units currently in service worldwide.
In Africa, Bastion constitutes the backbone of numerous armies. The vehicle is now in service with many African countries in different configurations. On April 4, 2019, Bastion APCs were showed by the Senegalese armed forces during a military parade marking Senegal’s 59th anniversary of independence. Another positive factor is that Arquus keeps upgrading the Bastion to meet its partners’ needs.
In October 2018, at AUSA 2018, Association of United States Army defence exhibition, AM General has announced a partnership with Arquus to manufacture the Bastion APC in the United States for the US Foreign Military Sales channel.
As part of the evolution of Arquus range, the Bastion is now offered in a new version, with a four cylinder, 270hp engine. This power increase grants the Bastion with new capabilities in terms of speed and obstacle crossing, thus upgrading its performance on all theatres of operations. This new version complements the classic 180hp version. It illustrates Arquus’ ability to optimise its vehicles’ performance, depending on the armies’ needs and the feedback from the field.
Variants
The vehicle is offered in two versions: Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) or PATSAS, a special force 4×4 armoured vehicle for Special Forces. The APC version can also be utilised as an ambulance, cargo carrier or command post. Numerous African and Middle Eastern countries trust the Bastion for their peacekeeping, reconnaissance forces and combat missions. These vehicles are also used by Special Forces units.
Armament
Bastion can be fitted with Smoke grenade launcher, Sniper acoustic detector, Laser detection system, RCIED jammer, ring mounted or remote controlled 7.62 mm or 12.7 mm machine guns and 40 mm automatic grenade launcher.
Other optional equipment includes Rear camera; Day/night long distance surveillance camera; Perimeter surveillance; GPS; Radio (UHF/VHF/HF/PMR); Specific intercom and a Public address system.
Design and Protection
The design of the Bastion APC is divided into three main parts, with the engine at the front, crew in the middle and troop’s compartment at the rear. The Bastion APC can carry a maximum of ten soldiers in an internal volume of 8.5m³, including driver and commander at the front and eight soldiers at the rear. The infantrymen enter and leave the BASTION APC via a double door without a central pillar in the rear of the hull, which opens outwards.
Three bullet-proof windows are mounted to each side of the crew compartment, each with firing ports mounted in the lower part. The high hardness armoured steel hull provides all-round protection against infantry rifles and machine guns and artillery shell splinters. The vehicle provides protection against anti-personnel and anti-tank mines and side explosives.
The Bastion uses monocoque hull technology, the purpose of this design is to increase vehicle and crew survivability by deflecting an upward directed blast from a landmine or Improvised Explosive Device away from the vehicle, while also presenting a sloped armour face. By presenting its armour at an angle, it increases the amount of material a ballistic projectile must pass through in order to penetrate the vehicle, and increases the chance of deflection.
Mobility
The Bastion offers extreme mobility, agility, and sturdiness. Its military 4x4 gooseneck chassis, which originates from the big VLRA family, has been put to the test across a wide variety of operations. It is characterised by outstanding off-road capabilities. It can be customised for left or right hand drive. The Bastion APC can be powered by a Deutz 1013 or MD5 engine that can give 180 hp (Euro 2) / 270 hp (Euro 3), coupled to a 6-speed mechanical or 5-speed automatic transmission.
The engine compartment is located at the front of the vehicle, leaving the remainder clear for the crew and passengers. The Bastion APC has a cruise speed of 110 km/h and a maximum range of 1,000 km. The vehicle can negotiate a side slope of 30% and a maximum slope of 60% and can ford a maximum water depth of 1m. It can climb a vertical obstacle of 0.5m maximum and cross a trench of 0.8m.
Reference Text/Photo: www.arquus-defense.com
Photo: Nicolas Broquedis
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