Now is not the time for flirting…
France and Belgium, linked since 2018 by a partnership called “CaMo” aimed at providing their land armies with similar land equipment, are determined to deepen their “operational intimacy”, explained Sébastien Lecornu on Tuesday during a conference. press conference with his Belgian counterpart Ludivine Dedonder.
The CaMo partnership which focused solely on Belgium’s acquisition of armored vehicles Griffin And Jaguarwill now be extended to vehicles Serval and the cannons Caesar. Belgium has indeed expressed its desire to acquire 28 cannons Caesaras well as 24 Griffon-MEPAC (on-board mortar for contact support). The industrial aspect of the partnership also materialized with the inauguration of a vehicle assembly line in Belgium at the end of April.
At the same time, the industrialist KNDS is continuing its development in Belgium, and will inaugurate a production line for 155mm shells next week.
Furthermore, it was decided to launch a Franco-Belgian partnership project on small caliber ammunition. France will buy small caliber ammunition from the Belgian company FN Herstal, which will then help it create an assembly line on French soil in order to remedy a French “dependence situation”. This line, whose location and date of entry into service have not been specified, should guarantee “supplies between the two countries” of these munitions.
Finally, as announced by the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, “the creation of a Franco-Belgian champion in the field of “low-end” armed vehicles was also announced through the merger between the Belgian company John Cockerill, and the French armored vehicle manufacturer Arquus.
