Belgium’s Griffon Transformation Gains Momentum Through CaMo Partnership with France.

Belgium is accelerating the integration of the Griffon armored vehicle as part of a broader shift toward closer combat interoperability with France, Major Grégory, Commandant of the Belgian Infantry School, explained in an exclusive DefenseWebTV interview. The CaMo partnership is reshaping how Belgian ground forces train and fight by aligning tactics, doctrine, and operational procedures with their French counterparts.

The Griffon gives Belgian troops a modern wheeled armored platform, but the more significant change lies in how units will employ it within a shared Franco-Belgian combat framework. Building on experience with the AIV and Dingo, Belgium is using CaMo to improve interoperability and prepare its land forces for increasingly integrated operations with France.

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Belgium is accelerating its Griffon armored vehicle rollout under the CaMo partnership, aligning doctrine, training, and tactics with France to deepen battlefield interoperability (Picture Source: Army Recognition Group)

In an exclusive DefenseWebTV interview, Major Grégory, Commandant of the Belgian Infantry School in Arlon, provides new insight into the Belgian Land Force’s transition to the Griffon armored vehicle and the wider implementation of the Franco-Belgian CaMo partnership. Speaking as Belgium progressively introduces the Griffon into its land forces, the officer explains that the transformation extends well beyond the acquisition of a new vehicle. At its core is the development of common operational standards, tactical procedures, and a binational doctrine designed to strengthen interoperability between Belgian and French forces.

The Belgian Infantry School occupies a particularly important position in this transformation. According to Major Grégory, it was the first Belgian unit to adopt CaMo standards and patterns and maintains close cooperation with the French Infantry School in Draguignan, notably in doctrinal and capability development. This cooperation illustrates one of the defining features of CaMo: Belgium is not simply introducing French-origin equipment but adapting shared operational concepts to its own requirements. Major Grégory emphasizes that Belgian forces have studied French doctrine while integrating essential elements of Belgian doctrine, progressively establishing a common framework that can support increasingly close cooperation between the two armies.

From an equipment perspective, the Griffon represents the most visible component of this modernization. However, Major Grégory characterizes its introduction as an “evolution, not a revolution” for Belgian troops. The Belgian Land Force already gained experience with technologically advanced wheeled platforms such as the AIV and Dingo, meaning that the most significant adjustment is not necessarily the technological transition to Griffon itself. Instead, the deeper transformation concerns how Belgian units employ the vehicle within new tactical procedures and a doctrine increasingly aligned with their French counterparts. This distinction highlights how CaMo combines equipment modernization with changes in training, tactics, command structures, and operational methods.

Belgium is also developing a diversified Griffon fleet tailored to different battlefield requirements. Infantry units are receiving long-wheelbase Griffons equipped with 7.62 mm or .50-calibre weapon stations, while specialized configurations expand the platform’s role beyond troop transport. These include EPC command-post vehicles and Griffon ATK variants equipped for the MMP anti-tank mission. Other specialized vehicles include MEPAC mortar carriers and engineering Griffons, creating a broader family of platforms able to support command, maneuver, fire support, anti-armor, and engineering missions. While Belgium operates a smaller range of Griffon variants than France, this approach provides the Belgian Land Force with a common vehicle architecture across several operational functions.

The transformation will nevertheless be progressive. Major Grégory confirms that a broader plan is already being implemented across the Belgian Land Force, with additional units scheduled to receive Griffons and subsequently adapt their operational doctrine. The process is expected to take several years, reflecting the scale of a transition that combines new vehicles with doctrinal adaptation and deeper Franco-Belgian interoperability. The significance of CaMo extends beyond fleet renewal: it is creating conditions for Belgian and French land units to operate according to increasingly compatible concepts while maintaining the specific characteristics and requirements of Belgium’s armed forces.

For Belgium, the Griffon program represents a major step in the long-term modernization of its land component and a concrete expression of its defense cooperation with France. The exclusive DefenseWebTV interview with Major Grégory offers a rare first-hand perspective from the Belgian Infantry School on how this transformation is being implemented at unit level, from the introduction of Griffon variants to the development of common doctrine. Watch the full DefenseWebTV video on YouTube to hear directly from Major Grégory and discover how Belgium is integrating the Griffon and preparing its Land Force for the next phase of the CaMo partnership with France.

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