THE HAGUE, Netherlands — French military-vehicle maker Arquus and Germany’s Daimler Truck have announced a new strategic partnership aimed at providing the French military with new military trucks.
The collaboration, unveiled on Thursday, will see both companies pool their expertise in joint vehicle development, production, sales, and after-sales services, with a particular focus on modernizing the French Army’s fleet of logistics trucks, according to a joint statement.
The partnership comes amid a significant defense spending uptick across Europe and growing concerns over military technology sovereignty and reliance on the U.S. In their press release, the companies emphasize their domestic nature, with Arqus producing exclusively in France and Daimler running a plant near the French border in Germany.
Arquus, which makes 90% of the French Army’s wheeled vehicles and is now part of the John Cockerill group, brings decades of experience in protected mobility and systems integration. Daimler Truck, one of the world’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturers, adds significant scale and industrial capacity, with production facilities in both France and Germany.
Executives from both companies touted the compatibility of their products and corporate cultures amid a fractured European military vehicle market. “We want to make a decisive contribution to the defence readiness of our two countries,” said Daniel Zittel, head of defense sales at Daimler Truck.
Production for the joint projects will be split between Arquus’s sites in Garchizy and Limoges, and Daimler Truck’s facilities in Wörth am Rhein and Molsheim, the latter being just across the border in Alsace. Both firms stress that the partnership will strengthen their respective national industrial bases and safeguard jobs, a key political consideration.
Europe’s rearmament has breathed new life into otherwise struggling automotive plants, a key economic sector in Germany.
Linus Höller is a Europe correspondent for Defense News. He covers international security and military developments across the continent. Linus holds a degree in journalism, political science and international studies, and is currently pursuing a master’s in nonproliferation and terrorism studies.
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