France has officially qualified its first frontline tactical signals intelligence (SIGINT) platform, the SERVAL electronic warfare vehicle, marking a significant leap in battlefield information dominance and NATO interoperability. The announcement was made by the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) on September 15, 2025, confirming that electromagnetic intelligence will now be available directly at the tactical edge.
Weighing 17 tons, the SERVAL was developed as a lighter, modular complement to the GRIFFON armored vehicle. It can be configured for four key missions: armored patrol, tactical communication hub, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare. Equipped with SCORPION-standard vetronics (SICS and CONTACT), the vehicle enables real-time data sharing across units and can transport up to ten fully equipped soldiers, making it both a protected carrier and a mobile information node.
The newly qualified SIGINT version is designed to detect, classify, and exploit enemy electromagnetic emissions, including encrypted and frequency-hopping communications. Its sensors cover a wide frequency range, providing the ability to track targets across land, sea, and air domains. This real-time capability will allow tactical commanders to quickly locate hostile communications, direct precision strikes, and disrupt adversary networks.
Deliveries of the SERVAL GE variant are scheduled for the second half of 2025 to the 54th Signals Regiment, the French Army’s dedicated electronic warfare unit. Operational validation will take place during the “Small Joint Operations 2025” exercise to evaluate its performance in combined-arms scenarios.
This development reflects a broader shift in modern warfare: bringing electromagnetic intelligence closer to combat units to enable faster, more decisive action. By deploying a standardized SIGINT system across its Army, Navy, and Air & Space Force, France is creating a unified electronic intelligence architecture, allowing data fusion at the national and allied levels and enhancing NATO-wide situational awareness.
