The Belgian mechanical engineer John Cockerill with the defense division John Cockerill Defense (JCD) wants to take over the French manufacturer of military wheeled vehicles and weapon stations Arquus. Arquus belongs to the Volvo Group and generates around one percent of sales there. The sale of the company's share was announced by Volvo and John Cockerill.
The two companies have been negotiating since spring 2023 and ratified their agreement on January 15th, which will form the basis of the exclusive takeover negotiations. Once approved, the merger of these two national flagships will result in a company with annual sales of one billion euros and 2,000 employees by 2026, writes JCD.
According to Volvo, Arquus produces and sells special vehicles for the armed forces and employs around 1,200 people in France. The merger would see Cockerill's defense business double.
Die Konsultationen sollen im ersten Quartal 2024 abgeschlossen werden.
There is already collaboration between JCD and Arquus. The companies' portfolios complement each other with Arquus vehicles on the one hand and JCD weapon turrets on the other. For example, there is the VAB Mk3 armored personnel carrier with a 90mm turret from John Cockerill.
In France, Arquus claims to be a key player in the French armed forces' Scorpion program. Together with Nexter and Thales, Arquus is involved in the Griffon, Jaguar and Serval combat vehicles.
The Belgian Armed Forces have ordered 382 Griffons and 60 Jaguars for the CAMO (Capacité Motorisée) program that came into force in 2019, with delivery starting in 2025.
Gerhard Heiming
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