MEPAC
| Company type | Military vehicle |
|---|---|
| Industry | Defense |
| Founded | 2020 |
| Founder | Nexter Systems and Thales Group |
| Headquarters | France |
| Products | Self-propelled mortar carrier |
MEPAC, also known as Griffon MEPAC (from the French Mortier Embarqué Pour l'Appui au Contact, meaning Embedded mortar for contact support), is a six-wheeled French self-propelled mortar carrier developed through a collaboration between Nexter Systems and Thales Group.
This platform mounts an advanced version of the Thales 2R2M 120 mm semi-automatic mortar on a specialized Griffon chassis. It is capable of delivering up to ten rounds per minute with precision at targets located as far as 13 km. Designed for rapid tactical mobility, the vehicle enables swift transitions from firing mode to movement while sealing its roof hatches, thereby enhancing protection against counter-battery strikes. Development is underway for two new ammunition types: the MURAT, a 120 mm reduced-risk projectile offering a 12% longer range, and a precision-guided round extending operational reach to 15 km.
Although it resembles the Griffon VTT Félin externally, the MEPAC operates with a smaller crew of four—comprising a driver, gun commander, and two crew members—compared to the ten personnel carried in the standard variant. This crew reduction allows additional storage space for ammunition. The mortar is mounted on a turntable providing full 360° rotation, with hydraulic elevation adjustable between 40° and 85°. Its advanced fire-control system includes computerized targeting, automatic laying capabilities, inertial navigation supplied by Thales, and is complemented by a T2 Hornet Lite remote weapon station armed with a 7.62 mm machine gun integrated with the GALIX countermeasures suite.
The MEPAC is designed to operate within the ATLAS (Automatisation des Tirs et Liaisons de l’Artillerie Sol/sol) artillery network but maintains functionality in degraded conditions through manual operation. The French Army has planned procurement of 54 units, with deliveries scheduled from late 2023 through 2027, following prototype handover in 2020 and qualification trials completed by 2023.
Current operators
File:Flag of France.svg France (54)
- The French Army placed an initial order for 54 MEPAC vehicles in 2022, anticipating first deliveries starting January 2025.
Future operators
File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium (24)
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- Belgium has committed to acquiring 24 units of the MEPAC system.
See also
- CAESAR, French self-propelled howitzer in service since 2008
- AMX-30 AuF1, French self-propelled howitzer operational from 1977 into the 2020s
- Mk F3, former French self-propelled artillery from the 1960s and 1970s
- Mk 61, historical French self-propelled howitzer used during the 1950s and 1960s
- Mortier 280 mm TR de Schneider sur affût-chenilles St Chamond, French self-propelled siege howitzer active between 1919 and 1945
- Canon de 194 GPF, French self-propelled gun deployed from 1920 to 1942
- List of mortar carriers