The recordWhat this system is, where it comes from, who operates it and which of Vigil’s modules it is relevant to — with the evidence each of those rests on.
Historical / withdrawnEvidence: Documented
Record
FamilyVAB
VariantsVAB 4x4
OriginFrance
EraFrench service since 1976; Mali 2013–2022
Appears inMali (Serval / Barkhane, historical)
Conflict relevance
This is the catalogue's single record for this system. It is relevant to the module below; each module's Force Atlas shows how it is used there.
Operators
Battlefield role
The French intervention's standard troop carrier: VABs moved infantry across the vast distances of Serval's dash north and Barkhane's corridor patrols, where protection against mines and ambush mattered more than firepower.
Limitations
An ageing design with limited mine protection by MRAP standards; its relevance to the module is historical — it left with the French withdrawal in 2022.
Branch & service operators
- Operation Barkhane Historically associated
- Operation Serval Historically associated
Related key events
11 Jan 2013Campaign link
Launch of Operation Serval
After a jihadist column pushes south toward Sévaré and the road to Bamako, France intervenes at Mali's request with airstrikes and a rapid ground force.
Assessed as of2022-08Last reviewed2026-07-19