France will be sending “significant quantities” of armored vehicles to Ukraine and is considering the supply of Exocet anti-ship missiles

According to Sébastien Lecornu, French Defense Minister, France will be transferring “significant quantities” of French-made armored personnel carriers and support vehicles to Ukraine.

This was reported by CNN with reference to the French Le Parisien newspaper.

This regards the VAB-type transport vehicles.

Sébastien Lecornu stated that to move quickly, the Ukrainian troops need armored vehicles.

“To move quickly in areas under enemy fire, armies are in need of armored vehicles. France will deliver, in significant quantities, transport vehicles of this type, VAB, which would be armed,” he said.

The minister did not mention when these vehicles would be delivered.

Lecornu added that France was also examining the possibility of delivering the French-built anti-ship Exocet missiles to Ukraine.

The VAB (Véhicule de l’Avant Blindé – “Armoured Vanguard Vehicle”) is a French armoured personnel carrier and support vehicle developed by French manufacturers Renault and Saviem. Serial production has been going on since the mid-70s.

Open data suggests that 5,000 of these vehicles were produced, and 4,000 of them are in service of the French army. VAB is also in service with 15 other countries.

There are several configurations of VAB vehicles – for command, reconnaissance, and sanitary purposes.

Most often, the vehicle is armed with a 12.7 mm machine gun for infantry vehicles or a 7.62 mm machine gun on the roof for other models. Also, the VAB can be equipped with a turret with a 20 or 25 × 137 mm machine gun.

VAB HOT missile launcher can be equipped with a rocket launcher.

The Exocet is a French-built anti-ship missile. It was developed by the French company “Aérospatiale” back in 1975.

It is in service with the Navy and Air Force of over 25 countries. It is the most commonly used anti-ship missile in the Western states.

The missile has a regular aerodynamic scheme with a cross-shaped wing in the middle of the hull, and the same rudders on the tail. The missile is launched from an airtight container.

For the launch, the distance and bearing of the target are indicated. At a distance of up to 10 km, the missile is lowered to a minimum height (8 m) and turns on active radar homing. The warhead has contact and non-contact detonators.

The Exocet is being manufactured in four versions:

• MM38(surface-launched): deployed from warships (1975).
• SM39(submarine-launched): deployed from submarines.
• AM39 (air-launched): air-launched version for various kinds of aircraft (1979).
• MM40 (surface-launched): deployed from warships and in coastal batteries.

As previously reported, Oleksii Reznikov, Minister of Defense of Ukraine reported that Ukraine ordered tens of new Turkish-produced Bayraktar TB2 drones for the needs of the Defense Forces in the war with the Russian invaders.