Synopsis
As NATO members ramp up defence spending, Europe’s defence industrial base is stepping up to meet demand.
Arquus stands as one of France’s leading defence vehicle manufacturers, building armoured platforms trusted by armed forces across the globe.
From tactical troop carriers to advanced reconnaissance vehicles, the company specialises in rugged, battle-ready systems designed for modern warfare and high-risk operations.
We take a look inside one of their factories in Limoges, where the flagship 12-ton Bastion troop carrier is produced.
Interviews with Arquus management and employees, speaking about the opportunities provided by work in this sector.
Shotlist
---SHOTLIST—
(00:00) WORKER CHECKING HULL OF BASTION ARMOURED VEHICLE ON THE PRODUCTON LINE X2
(00:10) WORKER CHECKING CABLES ON BASTION ARMOURED VEHICLE ON THE PRODUCTON LINE
X4
(00:29) BASTION ARMOURED VEHICLES ON THE PRODUCTON LINE
(00:33) WORKER FITTING PARTS TO BASTION ARMOURED VEHICLE ON THE PRODUCTON LINE
(00:40) WORKER FITTING PARTS TO BASTION ARMOURED VEHICLE ON THE PRODUCTON LINE X2
(00:48) WORKER CHECKING ENGINE ON BASTION ARMOURED VEHICLE ON THE PRODUCTON LINE
(00:51) SLOW MOTION SHOT NO AUDIO - WORKER CHECKING DOORS ON BASTION ARMOURED VEHICLE ON THE PRODUCTON LINE X2
(01:05) SLOW MOTION SHOT NO AUDIO – WORKERS FITTING CABLES ON BASTION ARMOURED VEHICLE ON THE PRODUCTON LINE X2
(01:15) WORKERS FITTING CABLES ON BASTION ARMOURED VEHICLE ON THE PRODUCTON LINE X3
(01:42) WORKERS CHECKING TOOLS X2
(01:54) WORKERS CHECKING TRANSMISSIONS ON BASTION ARMOURED VEHICLE ON THE PRODUCTON LINE
(01:59) FORKLIFT IN WAREHOUSE MOVING PARTS X2
(02:20) VARIOUS SHOTS – SOPHIE, DIRECTOR ARQUUS LIMOGES INSPECTING PRODUCTION LINE AND MEETING WORKERS
(02:45) VARIOUS SHOTS – HORNET ANTI DRONE TURRET BEING TESTED
(03:09) VARIOUS SHOTS - HORNET ANTI DRONE TURRET BEING PACKAGED
(03:22) VARIOUS SHOTS - BASTION ARMOURED VEHICLE BEING TEST-DRIVEN ON A VARIETY OF OBSTACLES OUTDOORS
(04:29) DRONE SHOT NO AUDIO - BASTION ARMOURED VEHICLE BEING TEST-DRIVEN ON A VARIETY OF OBSTACLES OUTDOORS
[ 04:46] SOUNDBITE IN FRENCH, Vincent, Manager, Arquus
‘Here, whenever we want to bring in new people, we go through a trade school.
This is a new industrial tool that is really important for us. It opened two years ago. It’s what’s going to get our operators performing, it’s going to develop them on new techniques, and it's also going to ensure all new staff have the right company practices from the outset so that they can give their all to whichever production line they’re assigned to.
What we need is staff who have the basic mechanical skills, who can obviously see what the major principles of mechanics are. But more importantly, these are staff who will be able to offer their ideas on progress and go the whole nine yards to satisfy the customer and meet our contractual requirements – sometimes a wide range of deadline and cost requirements.
These are people who are motivated, who want to develop their skills, who are ready to pivot from one sector to another rather than stick to a specific one, because we are massively developing multi-skilling, which is important. What we have are motivated people who are committed to the defence industry.
Along the same lines, the bulk of our suppliers are French. We are working with major system suppliers, major foundries, the big names in French industry, but we also use foreign engine manufacturers.’
[06:07] SOUNDBITE IN FRENCH, Worker, Arquus
‘I worked in a temp agency for 13 months, then after that I signed an indefinite duration contract with Arquus in December 2025.
I got my start with the trade school. That’s where they taught me all the basics of mechanics, all the clamping that you had to know so you could work at the work station. And once I’d got all the basics down, I was sent out onto a work station with a level 4 supervisor who showed me everything you had to do, all the right ways of working so that afterwards you could work autonomously at that station.
Working the full assembly line for trucks means that I put in all the brake work and all the electrics, and once I've finished my line, I install the engine.
I am proud to work at Arquus, because I am working to manufacture Arquus vehicles to protect and defend our soldiers.’
[07:20] SOUNDBITE IN FRENCH, Sophie, Director Arquss Limoges
‘Arquus is a 100-year-old company that designs and manufactures wheeled armoured vehicles, mainly in France.
This is a major contract for Arquus, and especially for the Limoges factory, since it's for replacement of part of the French Army fleet, which I’d point out is more than 80% equipped with Arquus brand wheeled vehicles.
With it we will achieve much faster throughput and be producing vehicles as of the end of this year, and gradually over the coming years we will be manufacturing a high volume, under a contract for delivery of up to 10,000 vehicles in the years to come.
We are ready, and have been ready for several years now, to deliver this high outputand volume.
So how does a company prepare itself, and how does it adapt? At Arquus we've been preparing for several years already. Everyone knows the geopolitical context of the past few years – so we prepare, we invest, and we transform. We have a factory that is flexible, and we have major investment.
The most significant investment at the Limoges factory was a logistic support hub built near the factory building. A hub that meant more than 10 million euros of investment into our site. The aim is always to make vehicle production easier so that we can do it faster.
For several years now, we’ve known that the armed forces have real requirements and that we, as the defence technological and industrial base, have to meet those requirements, have to transform and invest to fulfil those kinds of contracts, like for the contract Arquus recently signed for the PL6T six-tonne logistics carrier.
For PL6T we will be working in partnership with German manufacturer Daimler Truck, which will supply the carrier while we adapt the equipment on the vehicles.
This is truly a European partnership with another European defence technological and industrial base to deliver those vehicles.
Employment is another area where we have had to adapt. This is a part of transformation, and of the manufacturers’ ability to produce, and to produce quickly.
For employment, we recruit regularly at Arquus, especially for the Limoges factories. We will have opportunities for 20 or so jobs on indefinite duration contracts every year.
Our aim, what we want for ourselves, is to be ready to produce – to have the right skills at the right time, and to keep them over the long term. That is why every year we will be recruiting regularly at all the company’s factories, across all fields, both in production and the technical trades.’
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