French specialty vehicle manufacturer Arquus has announced that it recently completed the production of the 1,000th Sherpa armored vehicle.

The company said it is a major milestone for the Sherpa family, founded in 2006, which has constantly evolved since.

The Sherpa is a French-made family of light tactical vehicles specifically designed for military needs and offering high performance in terms of mobility, protection and payload.

The Sherpa Light family comprises of four base models: the Sherpa Scout, an armored vehicle for liaison and reconnaissance seating 4 or 5 soldiers, also available in the Station Wagon version; the Carrier, fitted with a bed for troop or systems transport; the APC, for troop protected transport; and the Sherpa Special Forces, designed for missions behind the enemy lines.

The vehicle can be offered with an armored hull, weapons sytems, assault ladder, ambulance and many other configurations. This modularity allows the company to respond to specific requirement from armed forces or internal security forces, from peacekeeping and law enforcement to firefighting missions, on all terrains. Different versions with a common chassis (95% of components shared) adapted to military or internal security usage.

Since 2006, Chile, Lebanon and Indonesia have acquired Sherpa vehicles to reinforce their police and security forces’ capabilities. An Assault Ladder version was then developed by Arquus in 2014 to provide with unprecedented capabilities to fight organized crime and terrorism. India, the Brazilian Federal Police, as well as the French GIGN have soon selected that version. Most iconic vehicle, the Sherpa Assault Ladder is deployed on all the Group’s delicate interventions. In 2016, the French Minister of Defence, Jean-Yves Le Drian, announced a contract for 300 Sherpa vehicles to be delivered to Kuwaït. These vehicles have been the highlight of the DGA 2019 show in Kuwaït City.

The Sherpa’s commercial success, in all versions and configurations, has allowed for the foundation and growth of a durable and long-term industrial activity, combining modern methods, long-term expertise and high-quality design. Since 2006, all Sherpa vehicles of the Arquus are produced at the Arquus site in Limoges, with a completely dedicated production line. In 14 years, more than 1,000 Sherpa vehicles of all versions and configurations have rolled out of the production line. The Garchizy plant has also contributed to that industrial organization by providing with the Sherpa’s armored hulls.