The French National Gendarmerie is increasingly replacing its protected 4×4 vehicles of the Berliet VBRG type with the Soframe-developed VIPG (véhicule d’intervention polyvalent de la gendarmerie) Centaure. So far, more than 70 units of the 14.5-ton vehicle have been ordered, which can accommodate, in addition to the driver and commander, eight other personnel. Propulsion is provided by a six-cylinder diesel engine with 330 horsepower and an automatic transmission; the top road speed is 104 km/h, with a range of 750 kilometers. The turning radius is nine meters.
The vehicle is NATO STANAG 4569 Level 2 protected against 7.62-mm ammunition. It features two or four side doors and a rear ramp, as well as a hydraulically movable dozer blade. In addition, there is a remote-controlled weapon station, for example for a machine gun, 360-degree swiveling multi-barrel launchers for smoke and irritant gas grenades, and an extendable telescopic mast with day and night vision cameras on the roof. There is also an automatic system for acoustic detection of gunfire. The Centaure is also equipped with air conditioning and a central tire inflation system.
Gendarmerie Replaces VBRG with Centaure
The predecessor VBRG (véhicule blindé à roues de la Gendarmerie), company designation VXB-170, was selected in 1972 by the Gendarmerie as a protected vehicle for internal security tasks. It weighs 12.7 tons and provides seating for a crew of three plus six to eight additional personnel. Powered by an eight-cylinder Berliet V800M diesel engine with 170 horsepower, it reaches a top speed of 85 km/h and a range of 750 kilometers as well. It features a one-man turret capable of mounting a 7.62 mm machine gun and a 56-mm grenade launcher.
Originally, 155 were procured for the armored squadrons of the Gendarmerie. In 2018, about 70 remained in service across six squadrons of the Armored Group, based at Versailles-Satory (since 2004 alongside two squadrons equipped with 6×6 wheeled VBC-90 armor) as well as in Corsica and the French overseas territories. Since 2022 they have been replaced by the Centaure.
