France has completed manufacturing nearly half of the Bastion armored personnel carriers it sold to Armenia as part of a contract in 2023.
The project has now finalized the development of 10 vehicles, a report from Caspian News said, with deliveries expected later this year.
Under the deal, Yerevan will receive 26 Bastions in total from Paris to bolster the Eurasian country’s land forces amidst security concerns in the region.
Upon arrival, the fleet will add to a tranche of 24 Bastions that the French government had already delivered to the Armenian Armed Forces as part of a separate agreement.
According to multiple sources, this initial Bastion batch was originally reserved for Ukraine, but Kyiv canceled the procurement due to the light chassis protection design of the vehicle, which makes it inapplicable for frontline operations.
Arquus’ Bastion Troop Carrier
Developed by Yvelines-based Arquus Defense, the Bastion is a 12,000-kilogram (26,455-pound) vehicle that can transport up to 10 troops.
It measures 6 meters (20 feet) long and can be equipped with level 1 to 3 NATO-standard armor, depending on user requirements.
The Bastion’s main weapon can be a remote-controlled turret armed with either a 7.62mm machine gun or a 12.7mm heavy machine gun.
The platform is powered by a 180-horsepower engine for speeds up to 110 kilometers (68 miles) per hour and a range of 1,400 kilometers (870 miles).
Arquus offers the Bastion in its standard, special forces, and heavy armor variants. The company also produces the vehicle in an export version in partnership with AM General.