Description
With the VAB 4×4, Heller is jumping on the Ukraine War bandwagon and presenting an old favorite, enhanced with a Ukrainian decal version. The original mold dates back to 1999 and was completely overhauled in 2023.
In 1970, the General Staff of the French Armed Forces presented extremely strict and precise specifications for an armoured vehicle to replace the various AMX 13 tracked transport vehicles in service.
The key features of the vehicle should be its mobility on-road, off-road and in water, its capabilities to defend against ballistic, nuclear, bacteriological and chemical (NBC) attacks and, above all, its versatility and simple design, ensuring easy training, use and maintenance.
After long and rigorous tests by the Army, the General Staff decided in 1974 on the vehicle that later became the Véhicule de l’Avant Blindé (Front-End Armored Vehicle): the VAB. The VAB 4×4 entered service in 1976.
The one-piece body is made of high-strength armor steel. The engine and fuel tank are located at the front center, and a connecting corridor connects the commander’s and driver’s cockpit at the front with the large rear compartment, which is accessible through two wide doors without center posts.
The vehicle is also in use in current war zones of the 21st century.