The Aravis is a mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle developed and built by French company Nexter. An order for 15 Aravis vehicles was placed by the Délégation Générale pour l'Armement in April 2009 for use by the French Army as a reconnaissance and escort vehicle for engineer units. Deliveries for the initial order began in January 2010.[1]
Design
The Aravis' chassis is based on the Unimog U5000 chassis. The total internal volume for the vehicle is 9.5m3 with 8m3 of that under full armoured protection. The Aravis can be equipped for a variety of roles, including patrol vehicle, ambulance, and command and control vehicle.[1]
Protection
The Aravis was designed with protection against mines, improvised explosive devices, 14.5mm anti-armour rounds, and 155mm artillery bursts in mind, meeting full