Véhicule Blindé Léger

VBL

VBL of the 1st Parachute Hussard Regiment in Afghanistan, with wire snag/cutter braced on hood.
Type Armoured Scout Car
Place of origin France
Production history
Produced 1990  present
Specifications
Weight 3.5 to 4 tonnes
Length 3.80 m (4.00 m long version)
Width 2.02 m
Height 1.70 m
Crew 2-3

Armour STANAG level 1 (protection against 7.62×51 NATO rounds and shrapnel)
Main
armament
depends on the version
Secondary
armament
none
Engine Peugeot XD3T turbo-diesel
95 hp (70 kW)
Power/weight 27–23.75 hp/t
Suspension 0.35 m ground clearance
Operational
range
600 km (can be extended to 1000 km with external gas tanks)
Speed 95 km/h

The Panhard Véhicule Blindé Léger ("Light armoured vehicle"), also known by its acronym Panhard VBL or simply VBL, is a wheeled 4x4 all-terrain vehicle built by Panhard. The vehicle is offered in various configurations, and was designed to combine the agility of the Peugeot VLTT liaison vehicle with adequate protection against small arms fire, artillery fragments, mines and NBC weapons.

The VBL is fully amphibious and can swim at 5.4 km/h; it is also air transportable by C-130, C-160 and A400M. It was developed during the 1980s and entered operational service in France in 1990. It has a fuel consumption of 16 litres per 100 km.

Combat experience

Inside a VBL

The VBL has been used in many peacekeeping operations, notably in Bosnia, Lebanon, Somalia and Kosovo.

In the 2000s and 2010s, the VBL has also been used by French forces in Ivory Coast, in Afghanistan and in Northern Mali.

Due to the contribution of the French Army to the Blue Helmets in Yugoslavia, the VBL was one of the ubiquitous sights in the Siege of Sarajevo, earning it the nickname of "Sarajevo Taxi".

The Nigerian Army used the Panhard VBL M11 during Counter Insurgency operations in the Niger Delta, the Jos Plateau as well as counter-insurgency operations in the North of the Country in 2013. The Nigerian Army versions carry a .50 BMG (12.7x99mm NATO) Browning HMG.

Variants

French versions

Export versions

Hellenic Army VBL

Note that the reconnaissance version is equipped with TR-VP 213 or PR4G radio, OB 41 and OB 43 night vision goggles and DUK-DUR 440 radiation meter and a dosimeter.

Operators

Map with VBL operators in blue and former operators in red
VBL at a Russian arms show in 2013.

Former operators

Potential operators

Civilian operators

See also

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to VBL.
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