French military equipment manufacturer Arquus and German concern Daimler Truck are joining efforts to create new trucks for the French Armed Forces.
This is stated in a joint statement by the companies, which notes that the cooperation will cover the joint development, production, sale and after-sales service of military vehicles.
The main goal of the partnership is to modernize the French army’s logistics truck fleet.
The new alliance was created amid rising defense budgets across Europe due to new security threats on the continent.
The cooperation also aims to reduce technological dependence on the United States and strengthen the sovereignty of the European defense industry.
Arquus, which produces about 90% of wheeled vehicles for the French military, has considerable experience in armoring vehicles and integrating modern military technologies.
Arquus’ production is fully concentrated in France, which also contributes to the level of national autonomy in the defense sector.
In return, Daimler Truck, one of the world’s largest commercial truck manufacturers, will add industrial capacity, efficient logistics, and production scaling to the project.
The German manufacturer also has its own plant near the French border, which will simplify cooperation.
“We want to make a decisive contribution to the defense capabilities of our two countries,” said a Daimler Truck spokesperson, emphasizing the strategic nature of the partnership.
This is not the first experience of cooperation between the two companies – earlier Arquus (then Renault Trucks Defense) and Daimler created the P4 VIPAIR off-road vehicle, which was once actively used by the French military.
The new joint developments are expected to strengthen not only the technical base of the French army, but also the positions of both companies in the European military truck market.
