France Delivers Bastion Armored Vehicles to Ukraine after Years of Testing

French defense firm Arquus has delivered Bastion armored vehicles to Ukraine, ending a three-year evaluation process that had delayed the transfer.

This is according to French publication La Tribune.

Built by ACMAT, a subsidiary of Arquus, the Bastion vehicles are mounted on the VLRA chassis and were tested extensively before being handed over to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Ukrainian troops had earlier assessed several budget models before choosing the Bastion. “The Ukrainian side opted for a true entry-level armored vehicle — the Bastion,” Bertrand Boyard of Arquus said.

Originally announced in April 2023, the plan to send 11 vehicles was later paused due to the lack of a formal France–Ukraine intergovernmental agreement.

Arquus CEO Emmanuel Levacher confirmed in May 2024 that production had resumed, with deliveries scheduled for July. The company has said it can manufacture up to 100 more units if Ukraine requests.

During the delivery pause, similar Bastion vehicles were spotted in transit through Georgia en route to Armenia in November 2023. This occurred shortly after French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna visited Yerevan and pledged a new military equipment supply agreement with Armenia.