Qatar could purchase French Nexter Systems VBCI 8x8 armoured

[Zarvan]

Qatar has showed a great interest to purchase the French-made VCBI 8x8 infantry fighting vehicle, following a visit in France of the Minister of State for Defense Affairs of Qatar. In August 2015, a VBCI fitted with CTA40 40mm turret was spotted in Qatari video report showing the vehicle in trial tests in Qatar.

French-made Nexter Systems VBCI with CTA40 turret at IDEX defense exhibition in UAE, February 2015.

Qatar is continuing to enhance their armoured fighting vehicle capability and would like to acquire 300 8x8 combat vehicles for a total amount of $2 billion. Few years ago, the French Company Nexter Systems the manufacturer of the VBCI, has responded to a request from Qatar for the purchase of 300 8x8 armoured vehicles. According to our sources, the VBCI was in competition with the Finnish Patria AMV.

The VBCI (French denomination of "Véhicule Blindé de Combat d'Infanterie)") is a French wheeled armoured infantry fighting vehicle designed and manufactured by the French Companies Nexter Systems and Renault Trucks Defense. The VBCI is in service with the French, it has already been successfully deployed for combat operations in Afghanistan and Mali.

The VBCI in the French Army is equipped with a one-man Nexter Dragar turret armed with a dual feed 25mm NATO cannon type 25 M811 with 150 rounds in the turret and a coaxial 7.62mm machine gun.

The hull and the turret of the VBCI Nexter Systems are composed by Welded steel and aluminium, who offers a protection against small arms fire and artillery shell splinters. To increase the protection, the welded steel and aluminium alloy hull is fitted with spall liners and add-on titanium armour plate to protect against anti-tank weapons.

Renault Trucks Defense Higuard 6x6 security vehicles of Qatari Security Forces at IDEX 2013, defense exhibition in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Currently Qatar armed forces operate a fleet of Piranha II 8x8 LAVs (Light Armoured Vehicle) fitted with a CMI Defence two-man turret armed with a 90mm cannon and a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun, which were supplied by GKN Defence from 1998.

The Qatar Ministry of the Interior has recently boosted its capability with the delivery from Renault Trucks Defense of 10 Sherpa 4x4 light tactical vehicles and 22 Higuard 6x6 security vehicles. Both are mine resistant ambush protected- type vehicles especially designed to be used by internal security forces.

The Qatar has also purchased 30 Fennek 4x4 reconnaissance vehicles and 13 Dingo 2 Heavy Duty 4x4 protected vehicles from Germany.

https://www.armyrecognition.com/nov..._french_nexter_systems_vbci_8x8_armoured.html

 

[Saif al-Arab]

How much different weaponry does a 325.000 big state the size of Lebanon and Jamaica (located on a peninsula and only bordering one country - KSA) need?

It does not matter how much they spend on defense. This won't protect them against KSA, Iran or UAE in a hypothetical and very unlikely war. Qatar belongs in the same league as Bahrain (neighborhood wise) and nobody is going to imagine a Bahraini-Qatari war occurring.

Qatar's greatest asset is the US Al-Udeid Air Base. It seems that the current Qatari regime is in a frenzy and very desperate to buy itself political leverage by suddenly spending fortunes on weapons that they will never need nor use.

It was not long ago that Qatar actually spent money on relatively useful things not only for Qatar itself (the citizenry) but the GCC and wider Arab world. Well, when you have more money than you know what to do with and delusions of grandeur, such things can occur.

Since they own almost half of France, it is no surprise that France is down on her knees despite what has been occurring recently politically and what has been uncovered of dirty Qatari "secrets". That's politics and money obviously.

 

[The SC]

How much different weaponry does a 325.000 big state the size of Lebanon and Jamaica (located on a peninsula and only bordering one country - KSA) need?

It does not matter how much they spend on defense. This won't protect them against KSA, Iran or UAE in a hypothetical and very unlikely war. Qatar belongs in the same league as Bahrain (neighborhood wise) and nobody is going to imagine a Bahraini-Qatari war occurring.

Qatar's greatest asset is the US Al-Udeid Air Base. It seems that the current Qatari regime is in a frenzy and very desperate to buy itself political leverage by suddenly spending fortunes on weapons that they will never need nor use.

It was not long ago that Qatar actually spent money on relatively useful things not only for Qatar itself (the citizenry) but the GCC and wider Arab world. Well, when you have more money than you know what to do with and delusions of grandeur, such things can occur.

Since they own almost half of France, it is no surprise that France is down on her knees despite what has been occurring recently politically and what has been uncovered of dirty Qatari "secrets". That's politics and money obviously.

You haven't heard their official's statement that they're ready to confront militarily any attack from the GCC..
Kuwait has sent them an official invitation for the next GCC summit.. it seems that they have accepted..

 

[Saif al-Arab]

You haven't heard their official's statement that they ready to confront militarily any attack from the GCC..
Kuwait has sent them an official invitation for the next GCC summit.. it seems that they have accepted..

Yes, for 5 seconds or 10 seconds maybe if I am to be generous.

Well, not surprised about them accepting. However if you ask me, they might as well be kicked out of the GCC. I rather have Iraq, Jordan or Yemen take their place in all honesty. Qatar needs the GCC 1000 times more than the other way around. Not to mention demographics and geography.

 

[The SC]

Yes, for 5 seconds or 10 seconds maybe if I am to be generous.

Well, not surprised about them accepting. However if you ask me, they might as well be kicked out of the GCC. I rather have Iraq, Jordan or Yemen take their place in all honesty. Qatar needs the GCC 1000 times more than the other way around. Not to mention demographics and geography.

I agree with you but when it comes to the GCC you know how much leverage on emotions the tribal bonds have.. time to be pragmatic.. but on that level too, It is better if Qatar stays in the GCC council.. it has nowhere else to hide.. it will just have to swallow its pride boosted by wealth and behave in an appropriate manner with its close family.. Iraq, Yemen are still in trouble times, Jordan is a good candidate though..

 

[Saif al-Arab]

I agree with you but when it comes to the GCC you know how much leverage on emotions the tribal bonds have.. time to be pragmatic.. but on that level too, It is better if Qatar stays in the GCC council.. it has nowhere else to hide.. it will just have to swallow its pride boosted by wealth and behave in an appropriate manner with its close family.. Iraq, Yemen are still in trouble times, Jordan is a good candidate though..

Well, KSA has stronger family/tribal/clan ties to Iraq, Jordan and Yemen than Qatar by virtue of the first three's much larger population. Of course 90-95% of Qatar's native population is originally from KSA but there are less than 350.000 of them.

Of course I was not serious but as you might have noticed, I am not exactly hiding my lack of regard for the current Qatari regime or more precisely their foreign policy.

Eventually I see this conflict being solved, as I wrote before, but it is a much more grave conflict than the most recent one a few years ago, and I believe that it is more divisive in nature. A lot of events will not just be forgotten within weeks or months.

Yes, Jordan is a realistic future member but so is Iraq (if they get their house in order). Especially Iraq due to actually being the only Arab country bordering the Gulf that is not a member state. If history had been a bit different, Iraq might very well have been a GCC member from the very beginning and their history would be totally different. Most likely for the better by far.

 

[masud]

May be they should go for TOT and local production. any way nice choice......................