PARIS (BNS): The French Army has received the first batch of four highly protected armoured vehicles ARAVIS from Nexter Systems.

The vehicles were delivered to the force by the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) on January 19, 2010, the French Defence Ministry said.

The DGA had placed an ordered for 15 such vehicles with Nexter Systems at a cost of $28 million.

The acquisition will help the army in route reconnaissance. It will also provide protection to the armed personnel against mines and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), the ministry said.

The ARAVIS vehicle is a 4x4 armoured personnel carrier used for engineering forces. It can carry up to eight personnel. The multipurpose vehicle can be used as a battlefield command post and also as an ambulance.

It is equipped with a remotely-operated turret armed with a 12.7mm machine gun to fight against enemy attack. The vehicle is fitted with seven camera devices to cope with the surrounding environment.

The remaining 11 ARAVIS are expected to be delivered to the French Army by the end of April 2010.