Renault VAB

The Renault VAB is a wheeled armoured vehicle produced since 1976. By 2002 more than 5,000 had been built in some thirty versions, built as both 4x4 and 6x6 vehicles, including an ambulance. The French Army alone operated almost 4,000.

Service

The VAB was adopted by the armed forces of fifteen countries: Argentina, Brunei, the Central African Republic, Cyprus, France, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritius, Morocco, Norway, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. 376 took part in Operation Desert Storm, and VABs served with United Nations peacekeeping forces in Bosnia, Cambodia, Croatia, Lebanon, Rwanda and Somalia. A new generation with about 1,100 improvements is known as the VAB NG.

Specifications

Power comes from a Renault M1DS 06-20-45 diesel rated at 162 kW (220 hp), with an automatic gearbox and independent suspension. The vehicle carries a crew of two plus ten troops and has a combat weight of around 13 tonnes. It is 5.98 m long, 2.49 m wide and 2.06 m high, with 0.4 m ground clearance. Top speed is 92 km/h on the road and 8.5 km/h in the water, and its 300-litre tank gives a range of up to 1,000 km.