Armenia has reportedly taken delivery of the first batch of Bastion armored vehicles from the French defense company Arquus, formerly known as Renault Trucks Defense.
The announcement was made by journalist and analyst Leonid Nersisyan on Sunday, accompanied by photos of the armored vehicles spotted in the Georgian port of Poti en route to Armenia.
It is worth noting that the Bastion armored vehicles received by Armenia are the same vehicles that Arquus pledged to deliver to Ukraine in 2022 from its stock of 24 units.
The transfer of these vehicles to Ukraine was initially reported by the French newspaper “La Tribune” on October 3, 2022, stating that the French manufacturer Arquus, a part of the Swedish group Volvo, would provide Ukraine with 20 Bastion armored vehicles.
It is noteworthy that negotiations regarding the delivery of these armored vehicles to Ukraine have been ongoing for some time, as reported by security and defense correspondent Elizabeth Gosselin-Malo in April 2023.
“Company officials say talks on this have been ongoing for some time but nothing finalized (24 in stock),” she stated on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Had the privilege today of riding inside and seeing in action one of #France’s Bastion armored vehicles made by @Arquus_Defense that could eventually be sent to Ukraine. Company officials say talks on this have been ongoing for some time but nothing finalized (24 in stock). pic.twitter.com/pHyChgWJbH
— Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo (@elisabethmalom1) April 6, 2023
The acquisition of the Bastion armored vehicles is seen as a significant step in bolstering Armenia’s defense capabilities amid regional security concerns.
