First world presentation of the Panhard CRAB Combat Reconnaissance Armoured Buggy 1106121

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Official Online Show Daily News
Eurosatory 2012
International Land Defence & Security Exhibition
Paris, France
11 - 15 June 2012
 
CRAB Panhard at Eurosatory 2012 Press Release
 
 
Monday, June 11, 2012, 08:30 AM
 
First world presentation of the Panhard CRAB (Combat Reconnaissance Armoured Buggy)
Panhard has a long tradition for designing and manufacturing combat armoured vehicles, which have met success both in France and at export ((AMD, AML, EBR, ERC) for fifty years. The new Panhard’s offer has gone through the creation of a new kind of land mobile weapon system, providing us with the best technology while meeting exacting economic criteria. The CRAB, a revolutionary concept without any equivalent on the market, will introduce a new kind of mobile warfare.
Visit Panhard Defence at Eurosatory 2012 Booth Pe6a C 391 Outdoor Exhibition 22.
     
     
Panhard has a long tradition for designing and manufacturing combat armoured vehicles, which have met success both in France and at export ((AMD, AML, EBR, ERC) for fifty years. The new Panhard’s offer has gone through the creation of a new kind of land mobile weapon system, providing us with the best technology while meeting exacting economic criteria. The CRAB, a revolutionary concept without any equivalent on the market, will introduce a new kind of mobile warfare.
Panhard CRAB Combat Reconnaissance Armoured Buggy
     

Major General Vincent Desportes, a special advisor to the Chairman of Panhard highlights the CRAB concept: “the armed forces are facing decreasing procurement budgets together with increasing fielding costs for future equipment, which automatically leads to decreasing forces’ size, which get under the threshold of critical manoeuvre sizes. Therefore, the CRAB was designed with the view of providing the French Army with a force-sparing tool, enabling it to carry out a large number of missions – with very low LCCs (Life Cycle Costs) – before committing major combat assets, the Leclerc MBT, the AMXRC wheeled armoured vehicle, and then the ERBC (Recce and Combat WAV - Wheeled Armoured Vehicle –)”.

Owing to their specific features – mobility and firepower in particular – CRAB units fitted with multipurpose equipment can efficiently take part in the three stages of an operation (COMMITMENT, STABILIZATION, NORMALIZATION), and operate in the OFFENSIVE, DEFENSIVE, or SECURITY mode during these different stages. In the new environments for force commitment, security gets a primary role as the adversary purpose is to attack weak points. In this area, CRAB units can have an essential role.
     
On this matter, Christian Mons, Panhard Chairman and CEO added: “Clearly, Panhard aims at the VBAE (“WAV in support of commitments”) in tank squadrons. The VBAE is currently at stage 2 of the Scorpion operation. The purpose for the VBAE goes beyond reconnaissance missions, which are currently fulfilled by the VBL, the eyes and the ears of Leclerc MBTs and AMX10RC wheeled armoured vehicles.
Christian Mons, Panhard Chairman and CEO with the new CRAB (Combat Reconnaissance Armoured Buggy) Panhard at Eurosatory 2012
     
On this matter, Christian Mons, Panhard Chairman and CEO added: “Clearly, Panhard aims at the VBAE (“WAV in support of commitments”) in tank squadrons. The VBAE is currently at stage 2 of the Scorpion operation. The purpose for the VBAE goes beyond reconnaissance missions, which are currently fulfilled by the VBL, the eyes and the ears of Leclerc MBTs and AMX10RC wheeled armoured vehicles. The “commitment support” role may be more important and include a NLOS (Non Line Of Sight) function that the ERBC will not have. The CRAB has been designed with this platform modularity concept.”

The CRAB includes a couple of emerging technologies: a crew citadel and remotecontrolled weapon systems that enable us to have a light, compact, and very well protected platform.
     
Panhard has a long tradition for designing and manufacturing combat armoured vehicles, which have met success both in France and at export ((AMD, AML, EBR, ERC) for fifty years. The new Panhard’s offer has gone through the creation of a new kind of land mobile weapon system, providing us with the best technology while meeting exacting economic criteria. The CRAB, a revolutionary concept without any equivalent on the market, will introduce a new kind of mobile warfare.
     
The drive line is designed so as to have a very high speed on all terrains, and a large agility in complex (in particular built-up) areas. Thales is working alongside Panhard to develop the CRAB. The French electronic manufacturer provides the Systronique vetronic network, on the basis of standardized crew stations, compatible with the future Scorpion labels and standards.

As regards weapon systems and systems, the CRAB’s load capability enables us to offer a combat platform as a whole family, with weapon systems including 7.62-mm to 30-mm weapons and missiles for land warfare and air-defence warfare.

An actual contingency airlift deployment capability will be restored with the CRAB as it will be possible to load three vehicles aboard an A400M Transportation aircraft.

Panhard estimates the world market to amount to several thousands of vehicles. The CRAB will be presented at the Eurosatory show for the first time; it will take place at Villepinte from 11th to 15th June in a version equipped with the CMI (Cockerill Maintenance & Ingenierie) remote-controlled 25-mm turret.