France conducts first amphibious landing of Griffon 6x6 armored vehicle during ORION 26 exercise.

On February 9, 2026, French forces landed Griffon 6x6 armored vehicles in western France during phase O.2 of exercise ORION 26, marking the first sea to land maneuver of the joint campaign.

On February 9, 2026, the French Army conducted the first amphibious landing maneuvers of Griffon 6x6 armored vehicles during exercise ORION 26 in Brittany. The operation forms part of phase O.2, involving 25 naval combatants, 350 tactical vehicles, 1,200 drones, and joint air-maritime assets. The exercise rehearses a sea-to-land entry operation before the transfer of operational control to NATO structures.
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The landing phase permits land units equipped with Griffon armored vehicles to establish a protected foothold, deploy infantry under armor, and integrate into a broader joint operation linking naval projection, air operations, and ground maneuver. (Picture source: French Army)

These first landing maneuvers for units engaged in exercise ORION 26, which involved Griffon 6x6 armored vehicles, happened during a sea-to-land transition sequence in western France. The activity formed part of a joint and allied operational cycle that began on February 8, 2026, and integrates land, air, and maritime components under a single command structure. Air operations were launched from Mont-de-Marsan Air Base and from the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, while amphibious helicopter carriers embarked French Army tactical groupings for projected landing operations. French aviators and the embarked air wing operated with partners from Germany, Greece, and Qatar.

The stated operational objective at this stage was to establish air superiority over the designated area and prepare forces to operate from the sea toward the land in a contested scenario. The February 9 landing maneuvers took place during phase O.2 of ORION 26, which runs from February 8 to February 15, 2026, and focuses on a beachhead operation in southern Brittany. The land maneuver axis connects coastal landing zones with inland objectives oriented toward Rennes, integrating armored, infantry, artillery, and drone units under brigade command. Following the initial beach seizure, the exercise intensifies into broader land combat and coalition coordination, with subsequent phases including a transfer of operational control to NATO structures.

Logistics flows, reinforcement cycles, and sustained operations over several weeks are rehearsed to simulate prolonged engagement conditions. The O.2 phase, therefore, combines a carrier strike group with escort vessels, two amphibious helicopter carriers equipped with landing craft flotillas, 25 major naval combatants overall, three land brigades, 350 tactical vehicles in the immediate maneuver package (including the SCORPION family of vehicles), 40 helicopters, 1,200 drones, 40 to 50 fixed-wing aircraft, MALE drones, six air defense systems, as well as integrated cyber and space assets. ORION 26 is structured into four interconnected phases that progressively move from strategic preparation to alliance-level combat operations.

Phase O.1 establishes the operational planning, with headquarters focusing on translating political objectives into a joint, multi-domain campaign plan under French leadership and preparing command structures for a major engagement scenario. Phase O.2 constitutes the entry operation into a contested theater, involving rapid deployment of coalition forces, concentration through Atlantic ports and air bases, conquest of air and aero-maritime superiority, deep strikes, and the seizure of a beachhead in Brittany through combined amphibious and airborne operations before a transfer of authority to NATO.

Phase O.3 is an interministerial component conducted throughout the exercise, simulating the management of a major crisis on national territory, including resilience measures, and host-nation support to maintain operational tempo under hybrid pressure. Phase O.4 shifts to a NATO command framework under an Article 5 collective defense scenario, rehearsing large-scale counteroffensive operations in free-play conditions to consolidate and expand regained territory. The ORION exercise, which could be translated in English as Resilience and Intervention Operation for High-Intensity Environments, was conceived in 2021 to prepare the French Armed Forces for major engagements on European soil in a deteriorating strategic environment.

The first full-scale edition was conducted in 2023, then incorporated operational requirements and lessons derived from the Ukrainian War, and the 2026 edition expanded geographically to the western regions of France, including Loire-Atlantique, Morbihan, Finistère, and Ille-et-Vilaine, with significant amphibious and aero-maritime activity along the Atlantic façade. The 2026 scenario is built around a fictional European crisis in which Mercure destabilizes its neighbor Arnland, a narrative that mirrors real-world patterns observed in Eastern Europe since 2022, including hybrid actions, escalation dynamics, and high-intensity interstate conflict, prompting France to assume coalition leadership on January 6, 2026, for NATO-integrated counteroffensive operations.

For its part, the VBMR Griffon is a 6x6 armored personnel carrier developed under the French Scorpion program between 2010 and 2017 to replace the VAB in frontline units of the French Army. It has an approximate combat weight of 24.5 tonnes, depending on configuration, and is designed to transport a crew of two, driver and commander, plus up to eight fully equipped infantry soldiers. The Griffon armored vehicle measures about 7.6 meters in length, 2.5 meters in width, and 3.5 meters in height, including its remote weapon station. It is powered by a diesel engine rated at 400 hp coupled to an automatic transmission, providing a maximum road speed of more than 90 km/h and an operational range of 800 km. The Griffon is designed with a permanent all-wheel-drive configuration and a central tire inflation system to improve mobility on soft or uneven terrain.

In terms of protection, the Griffon is built with a welded steel hull and modular armor kits to provide ballistic and mine protection consistent with modern STANAG 4569 standards, including resistance against improvised explosive devices and artillery fragments. The hull design incorporates a V-shaped underbody to mitigate the effects of mine blasts. The vehicle is equipped with an overpressure NBC protection system and automatic fire detection and suppression systems in both engine and troop compartments. Its armament is mounted on a remotely operated turret, typically fitted with a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun or a 40 mm automatic grenade launcher, depending on the variant and mission requirement. Smoke grenade launchers are installed to provide rapid concealment during maneuver or withdrawal. The remote weapon station allows engagement of targets while the crew remains under armor protection.

The Griffon integrates the Scorpion Information and Combat System, enabling digital communication, blue-force tracking, and real-time data exchange with other Scorpion vehicles such as the Jaguar and Serval. Multiple variants have been developed on the same chassis, including troop transport, command post, medical evacuation, artillery observation, engineer support, and mortar carrier configurations. This modular approach reduces logistical complexity and facilitates maintenance through common components across versions. The internal layout has been optimized for improved ergonomics compared to the VAB, with blast-attenuating seats and digital displays for situational awareness. The vehicle is transportable by A400M aircraft under certain preparation conditions, supporting the rapid deployment of French forces.

As of February 2026, France plans to operate a total of 1,872 VBMR Griffon vehicles, of which 723 had been delivered by the end of 2023, including multiple variants such as VTT, EPC, VOA, and 54 MEPAC mortar carriers ordered under successive tranches between 2017 and 2022. Belgium has ordered 498 Griffon vehicles in total, including 382 under the CaMo programme, 24 MEPAC variants and 92 additional vehicles approved in December 2025, with deliveries scheduled between 2025 and 2030. Luxembourg will operate 16 Griffon vehicles following parliamentary approval in November 2024 and contract signature in December 2025, including command, JTAC, sharpshooter, maintenance and support configurations.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.