2e REP: First Serval armored vehicles | French Foreign Legion Information

In Corsica in late November 2025, the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP) received its first Serval light armored vehicles. The Legion paratroopers have started technical and tactical training to learn how to integrate this new equipment, which will replace the older VAB (Armored Vanguard Vehicle) that has been in service since the late 1970s.

The Serval, officially known as the VBMR-Light, is a four-wheel drive armored vehicle developed by Nexter and Texelis. It is designed for operations in direct contact with enemy forces. Its name comes from the French military operation launched in Mali in 2013.

The vehicle has a 375-horsepower engine and a range of about 375 miles (600 km). It can be armed with a MAG 58 machine gun or a Browning machine gun on a remotely operated weapon system, and it also carries smoke grenade launchers. The crew consists of a vehicle commander and a driver, with space for up to eight infantry troops.

The first Serval vehicles were delivered to the French Army in 2022. The French Foreign Legion began receiving them in 2024, and their introduction continues.

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