Renault Trucks Defense has been contracted to produce hundreds of light and heavy vehicles for the French military's Special Forces.

The French Defense procurement agency DGA said the contract for 241 light Special Forces vehicles and 202 heavy Special Forces vehicles includes the integration of intelligence and communications equipment into the vehicles.

Twenty-five of the heavy vehicles will be delivered this year, while delivery of light vehicles will begin in 2018.

"The program responds to a most demanding operational requirement for intelligence or neutralization missions, and in-depth actions within hostile areas requiring maximum discretion," the agency said. "It aims to improve the interoperability and the fleet's performance level across land, air and marine components of the Special Forces."

Also involved in the vehicle production project is Panhard, subsidiary of RTD and Essonne Sécurité for roduction of common equipment for both types of vehicles.

DGA did not disclose the value of the award.

French military forces are currently involved in counter-insurgency operations in Africa.

Norway selling CV90 vehicle hulls to Estonia
Oslo, Norway (UPI) Jan 8, 2016 - Norway is to sell used CV90 tracked armored combat vehicle hulls to Estonia under an agreement signed Friday.

The procurement cost was not revealed but the Norwegian Ministry of Defense said the hulls of 35 vehicles are covered under the deal.

"Overall, this will provide the Estonian army significantly increased operational capability," said Norwegian State Secretary Oystein Bo. Estonia, a Baltic country that was once part of the Soviet Union, currently operates a fleet of second-hand CV90 combat vehicles obtained from the Netherlands.

The vehicles to be acquired from Norway will be outfitted and used as logistic and support vehicles for its combat fleet.

Norway is selling the vehicle hulls because it is acquiring new CV90s and upgrading existing ones, the Ministry of Defense said.

The CV90 is a product of BAE Systems Hagglunds AB of Sweden. It has a range of nearly 190 miles and a maximum speed of about 43 miles per hour.