John Cockerill Defense Buys French Military Vehicles Supplier ‘Arquus’

John Cockerill Defense announced Tuesday the conclusion of the acquisition process of Volvo Group’s Arquus, the French supplier of military vehicles.

The conclusion of the operation comes as France and Belgium recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding to support and oversee this alliance, with both states each entering at 10% in the capital of John Cockerill Defense.

John Cockerill aims for an annual turnover of €1 billion and a workforce of 2,000 professionals by 2026, with a global presence and major operational bases in Belgium, France, Italy, India, and Saudi Arabia.

The acquisition combines John Cockerill's turrets and firing systems with Arquus, the supplier of 90% of the French army’s wheeled vehicles. Arquus currently features a fire-support variant of its VAB Mk3 armored personnel carrier, equipped with a 90mm turret from John Cockerill.