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10 Feb 17. VGGS, through its five makes (RENAULT TRUCKS Defense, ACMAT Defense, PANHARD Defense, VOLVO Defense and MACK Defense), offers a comprehensive range of innovative solutions for protection and mobility at the broader sense, on road and off road, and other systems through a wide range of products designed to meet current challenges: land security, border protection, fight against terrorism, defense, area monitoring, infantry and special forces.
The vehicles exhibited on the two stands are as follows:
VAB MK III Infantry Fighting Vehicle: 6×6, 20-ton, 340 HP armored fighting vehicle provided with ballistic, anti-blast and IED protection, and able to transport 2 crew + 7 troops. This version will be equipped with a Cockerill Maintenance and Ingénierie (CMI) 90 mm turret.
Dagger APC: 4×4 disengageable, 5.5-ton, 166 HP liaison vehicle, with various protection levels able to transport 2 crew + 6 troops.
SHERPA APC XL with Assault Ladder: 4×4, 10.9-ton, 265 HP armored fighting vehicle, available with various protection levels, and able to transport 2 crew + 8 troops. Equipped with a 8.50 m height assault ladder.
Mack Defense Lakota: 6×6, 20-ton, 370 HP armored fighting vehicle provided with ballistic, anti-blast and IED protection, and able to transport 2 crew + 7 troops.
VGGS will be on the CP-305 stand associated with the French Pavilion in the outdoor area of the show, and Mack Defense will be on the 03-A30 stand in the US Pavilion.
09 Feb 17. Safran, an aeronautics equipment and defense company, is among European and American firms and investment funds that have considered bidding for Renault Trucks Defense, accordingto multiple defense sources.
“Safran is studying it,” a defense source said. “Everybody is looking at the dossier.”
CMI, a Belgian builder of turrets and guns for armored vehicles; Rheinmetall; and three venture capital companies are among those which have also taken a look at RTD, the source said.
“Safran has always been on the list” of firms taking a close look at RTD, a second defense executive said.
There was talk of Safran’s interest a couple of weeks before Volvo issued a Nov. 4 statement on a planned sale of RTD. Other companies included BAE Systems, General Dynamics, Leonardo, Patria-Kongsberg and Rheinmetall.
Leonardo was not interested in bidding, a source in Italy said.
RTD is a key company in the Volvo group’s government sales unit, or VGGS, which the Swedish truck maker plans to sell off once staff consultations have been held. Other firms in VGGS include Acmat, U.S. truck-builder Mack, and Panhard, one of the oldest names in French motor industry.
Volvo has retained Rothschild as its bank adviser, two sources said.
The industrial logic behind Safran’s interest lay in an equipment company acquiring a vehicle builder, and selling its own kit to equip the platform, the first source said. An indicator is the partnership between Safran and Panhard to build Wasp, a light 7.62mm remote weapon system for armored vehicles.
Advent, Cinven and HIG are among investment funds which have looked at RTD, the source said.
Safran in September picked Advent for exclusive talks to spin off its identity and security business, formerly known as Morpho. Last month, the equipment maker who built the Felin infantry system made an agreed offer for Zodiac Aerospace, a specialist in airliner seats, so management teams are heavily occupied.
CMI is keen to bid for RTD, but the French Ministry of Defence previously issued a veto, as the government’s preferred pick is KNDS, the Franco-German joint venture between Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Nexter, La Tribune website reported Feb. 6.
The Belgian firm is a “very logical” candidate, one which makes industrial sense, said a third defense source. CMI supplies cannons and tu