ACMAT Bastion

  1. Home
  2. Wiki
ACMAT Bastion
A MINUSMA Bastion APC in Northern Mali, 2015
TypeArmoured personnel carrier
Place of originFrance
Service history
In service2012–present
Wars
Production history
DesignerACMAT
Manufacturer
Variants
  • Bastion
  • PATSAS
  • Fortress
Specifications
Mass12,000 kilograms (26,000 lb)[4]
Length6 m (19 ft 8 in)[4]
Width2.2 m (7 ft 3 in)[4]
Height2.4 m (7 ft 10 in)[4]
Crew2
Passengers8–10
ArmourSTANAG 4569 level 1 to level 3[4]
Main
armament
7.62 mm or 12.7 mm ring or remote control turret[5]
Engine180 hp (130 kW; 180 PS)
450 pound-feet (610 N⋅m)
Suspensionwheeled
Operational
range
1,400 km (870 mi)[6]
Maximum speed 110 km/h (68 mph)[4]

The ACMAT Bastion is a modern French armoured personnel carrier, manufactured by ACMAT.

The Bastion was available to customers in North America and Oceania via Mack Defense.[7][8] As of 2021, AM General is making the Bastion.[3]

Design

[edit]

Its chassis is based on the ACMAT VLRA.[4] In 2018, Arquus, owner of ACMAT, signed a contract with AM General to propose the Bastion as an armored ambulance for the U.S. Army.[6]

Bastion PATSAS

[edit]
A Bastion PATSAS of the Regiment of Presidential Security (left) during the 2015 Burkinabé coup d'état.

The Bastion PATSAS (PATrouille SAS) is a variant designed for special forces.[6] It is lighter (10 tonnes) and carries 5 equipped soldiers. It is armed with a 12.7mm heavy machine gun and can carry 3 additional medium machine guns.[9]

Fortress

[edit]

The Fortress, formerly Bastion HM (High Mobility), is an up-armored Bastion, with a more powerful motor (340 hp) and an independent suspension to improve its mobility.[10] It exists in two versions, APC and armored logistic vehicle.[11]

Service history

[edit]
A Bastion APC of the loyalist National Gendarmerie during the 2015 Burkinabé coup d'état.

West Africa

[edit]

The Chadian détachement d'action rapide (rapid action detachment) used the Bastion PATSAS during the 2013 intervention in Mali.[12] The Chadian Army also fielded Bastions during the 2015 intervention against Boko Haram in Far North Cameroon and Nigeria.[13]

The Cameroonian Bastion APCs, nicknamed as Cyclones, have been deployed in Northern Cameroon with the Battalion d'intervention rapide elite force.[1]

Burkina Faso deployed its Bastions in peacekeeping operations in Northern Mali, under the MINUSMA banner.[14] They have also been used in internal security missions, Bastion PATSAS being for instance fielded by the regiment de sécurité présidentielle before its disbandment in 2015.[15] One Bastion was destroyed by Ansar ul Islam in the 2016 Nassoumbou attack.[16]

In Mali, the 134th Escadron de Reconnaissance (Recce Squadron) was trained to operate the Bastion APC by the EUTM Mali.[17]

East Africa

[edit]

In 2015, the United States Department of Defense bought 62 Bastion APC variants commercialised by Mack Trucks to supply various African forces, some of them, such as Uganda, being involved in AMISOM.[6]

Arabian Peninsula

[edit]

Some of the Saudi Arabian Bastion PATSAS were reportedly used in the intervention in Yemen.[18]

Operators

[edit]
Several Bastion APCs during the Eagle Partner joint Armenia-U.S. exercise in July 2024[19]
Mack Bastion APCs being delivered to the Ugandan contingent of the AMISOM, 2017.
  • Armenia – 50 Bastion APCs (24 delivered in November 2023 with 26 in production).[20][21]
  • Burkina Faso – 10 Bastions received in 2012.[22] At least 8 Bastion PATSAS and some Bastion APCs in service.[23] More than 100 in service according to Jane's.[14]
  • Cameroon – 23 Bastion APCs received in 2015–2016, supplied via U.S. DoD.[22] 15 Bastions received in late 2017.[1]
  • Congo-Brazzaville – Two Bastions acquired for the National Police.[24]
  • Chad – 22 Bastion PATSAS received in 2013.[9]
  • Chile – 7 Bastion 4x4 in 2024 for police use (Carabineros de Chile)[25][26]
  • Ethiopia – 12 Bastion APCs received in 2016, supplied via U.S. DoD.[22][27] In 2018, an industry source explained to Jane's that none have actually been supplied.[1]
  • Gabon – 5 Bastion APCs.[28]
  • Ivory Coast – at least 9 Bastions in 2018.[29]
  • Kenya – 12 Bastion APCs received in 2018, supplied via U.S. DoD.[30]
  • Kosovo – 3 Bastion APCs have been seen used by Kosovo Police, provided by AM General.[31]
  • Mali – 5 Bastion APCs received in 2016 for the Malian military.[22][24]
  • Saudi Arabia – 71 Bastion PATSAS received in 2016.[22] Used by Saudi special forces units.[32]
  • Senegal – 36 Bastion APCs and 2 PATSAS,[33] 7 were bought in December 2017 by the Senegalese Gendarmerie for riot control.[34] An additional 29 were procured in 2019 for the Army with financial aid from Saudi Arabia.[35]
  • Somalia – 13 Bastion APCs received in 2016, supplied via U.S. DoD.[22][27] In 2018, an industry source explained to Jane's that none have actually been supplied.[1]
  • Sweden – some Bastion HMs supplied from 2016, used by the Särskilda operationsgruppen.[36] Also used by Swedish police after their Plasan Sandcat vehicles were replaced.
  • Tanzania – several dozens of Bastion APCS leased from the UN for peacekeeping missions.[24]
  • Togo – 30 Bastion PATSAS received in 2014 for the Togolese military.[24][22][37]
  • Tunisia – 4 Bastion APCs received in 2016, supplied via U.S. DoD.[22][27]
  • Uganda – 19 Bastion APCs received in 2017, supplied via U.S. DoD.[22][27] A total of 31 have been reportedly supplied.[1]
  •  Ukraine − 11 delivered and 50 on order as of August 2025.[38]

Evaluation only

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h de Cherisey, Erwan (6 June 2018). "Cameroon's Bastion APCs now in action" (PDF). Jane's Defence Weekly. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 January 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  2. ^ As of October 2017, using the Wayback machine on the official MACK Defense website indicates that it no longer shows the Bastion family.
  3. ^ a b "Bastion by AM General". Archived from the original on 2021-10-03. Retrieved 2021-10-03.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Bastion APC ARQUUS: 4x4 Wheeled Armored Personnel Carrier Vehicle France". armyrecognition.com. 9 October 2018. Archived from the original on 6 January 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
  5. ^ "Bastion". arquus-defense.com. Archived from the original on 6 January 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d Lagneau, Laurent (8 October 2018). "Le groupe français ARQUUS s'allie avec AM General pour tenter d'imposer son blindé Bastion aux États-Unis". Zone Militaire (in French). Archived from the original on 6 January 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
  7. ^ "MACK Bastion.PDF" (PDF).
  8. ^ https://sotatalousseura-fi-bin.directo.fi/@Bin/a6669c15439b7a5fc3ddc07326e47b1c/1571276489/application/pdf/177947/Volvo[permanent dead link] Trucks presentation Sotataloudellinen seura 25112013.pdf
  9. ^ a b Lagneau, Laurent (19 February 2013). "Les forces armées tchadiennes ont reçu leurs premiers véhicules blindés Bastion Patsas". Zone Militaire (in French). Archived from the original on 6 January 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
  10. ^ "RTD élargit sa gamme Bastion". forcesoperations.com (in French). 16 June 2014. Archived from the original on 10 January 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  11. ^ "Fortress". arquus-defense.com. Archived from the original on 10 January 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  12. ^ Husson, Jean-Pierre (September 2013). "Les FATIM au combat : Premier engagement réussi pour le Bastion PATSAS". Raid (in French). No. 328. pp. 70–71.
  13. ^ Finucci, Francesco (14 September 2015). "It starts here – from DSEI to Chad". Archived from the original on 9 January 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
  14. ^ a b Binnie, Jeremy; de Cherisey, Erwan (2017). "New-model African armies" (PDF). Jane's. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 June 2017.
  15. ^ "Burkina Faso: le désarmement du RSP avance au compte-goutte". Radio France Internationale (in French). 28 September 2015. Archived from the original on 9 January 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
  16. ^ Nsaibia, Héni; Weiss, Caleb (March 2018). "Ansaroul Islam and the Growing Terrorist Insurgency in Burkina Faso". CTC Sentinel. 11 (3): 21–26. Archived from the original on 2019-01-06. Retrieved 2019-01-05.
  17. ^ "Mali: training in the use of the armored vehicle "Bastion"". difesaonline.it. 22 February 2016. Archived from the original on 6 January 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
  18. ^ Fédération Internationale des Ligues des Droits de l’Homme; Observatoire des armements [in French]; Ligue des Droits de l’Homme; Sisters Arab for Human Rights (April 2018). Ventes d'armes françaises : "indices de présence" au Yémen et nécessaire refonte des mécanismes de contrôle des exportations (PDF) (Report) (in French). p. 13. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-04-23. Retrieved 2019-01-05.
  19. ^ "Eagle Partner 24: Peacekeeping Operations Training BRoll". Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. Archived from the original on 21 July 2024.
  20. ^ "Projet de loi de finances pour 2024 : Défense : Équipement des forces". Sénat (in French). Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  21. ^ Malyasov, Dylan. "Armenia receives French armored vehicles instead of Ukraine". defence-blog.com. Defence Blog. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  22. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Trade Registers". Armstrade.sipri.org. Archived from the original on 14 April 2010. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
  23. ^ International Institute for Strategic Studies (February 2016). "Chapter Nine: Sub-Saharan Africa" (PDF). The Military Balance 2016. Vol. 116. Routlegde. p. 432. doi:10.1080/04597222.2016.1127636. ISBN 9781857438352. S2CID 219623172. {{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help)[permanent dead link]
  24. ^ a b c d Renault Trucks Defense valued at 772 million of euros? (PDF). OIDA Strategic Intelligence Case Study #2. pp. 9–11. Archived from the original on 2019-10-15.
  25. ^ InfoDefensa, Revista Defensa. "Carabineros de Chile incorporará en 2024 una flota de cinco carros Arquus Bastion 4x4". Infodefensa - Noticias de defensa, industria, seguridad, armamento, ejércitos y tecnología de la defensa. Retrieved Sep 14, 2025.
  26. ^ InfoDefensa, Revista Defensa. "Carabineros de Chile incorporará blindados Arquus Bastion 4x4, Hunter TR-12 y un dron con 10 horas de autonomía de vuelo". Infodefensa - Noticias de defensa, industria, seguridad, armamento, ejércitos y tecnología de la defensa. Retrieved Sep 14, 2025.
  27. ^ a b c d "United States ordered Acmat Bastion APCs for African partners". defenceweb.co.za. 13 October 2015. Archived from the original on 6 January 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
  28. ^ Military Balance 2016, p. 446.
  29. ^ "Cayman customer identified as Ivory Coast". defenceweb.co.za. 10 August 2018. Archived from the original on 10 January 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  30. ^ de Cherisey, Erwan (22 November 2018). "Kenya receives Bastion vehicles". Jane's Defence Weekly. Archived from the original on 22 November 2018.
  31. ^ "Kosovo Police Special Forces receive Arquus Bastion armored vehicles | Defense News April 2021 Global Security army industry | Defense Security global news industry army year 2021 | Archive News year". 23 April 2021.
  32. ^ "French-made Bastion PATSAS Special Forces Saudi Arabia 10105171 | May 2017 Global Defense Security news industry | Defense Security global news industry army 2017 | Archive News year". May 2017.
  33. ^ République du Sénégal (23 May 2017). "Rapport annuel sur les exportations et les importations d'armes classiques, conformément à l'article 13(3) du traité sur le commerce des armes: Rapport annuel 2017" (in French). Archived from the original on 9 January 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  34. ^ "Equipements : La gendarmerie sénégalaise acquiert 13 blindés PVP et neuf Bastion". leral.net (in French). 6 December 2017. Archived from the original on 9 January 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  35. ^ de Cherisey, Erwan (11 April 2019). "Senegal military parade reveals new acquisitions". Jane's 360. Paris. Archived from the original on 11 April 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  36. ^ White, Andrew (15 June 2016). "Eurosatory: Swedish SF vehicles drive in". Shephard Media. Archived from the original on 7 January 2019. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
  37. ^ Military Balance 2016, p. 474.
  38. ^ Kozatskyi, Sanya (20 August 2025). "Ukraine to Receive Another 50 French Bastion Armored Vehicles". Militarnyi. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  39. ^ "First order of ACMAT Bastion PATSAS Special Forces protected vehicle for Tchad Presidential Guard". armyrecognition.com. 17 October 2012. Archived from the original on 6 January 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to ACMAT Bastion.