Véhicule Blindé Léger

VBL
VBL of the 1st Parachute Hussard Regiment in Afghanistan, with wire snag/cutter braced on hood.
Type	Armoured Scout Car
Place of origin	France
Production history
Produced	1990 – present
Specifications
Weight	3.5 to 4 tonnes
Length	3.80 m (4.00 m long version)
Width	2.02 m
Height	1.70 m
Crew	2-3
Armour	STANAG level 1 (protection against 7.62×51 NATO rounds and shrapnel)
Main armament	depends on the version
Secondary armament	none
Engine	Peugeot XD3T turbo-diesel 95 hp (70 kW)
Power/weight	27–23.75 hp/t
Suspension	0.35 m ground clearance
Operational range	600 km (can be extended to 1000 km with external gas tanks)
Speed	95 km/h

The Panhard Véhicule Blindé Léger ("Light armoured vehicle"), also known by its acronym Panhard VBL or simply VBL, is a French wheeled 4x4 all-terrain vehicle built by Panhard. The vehicle is offered in various configurations, and was designed to combine the agility of the Peugeot VLTT liaison vehicle with adequate protection against small arms fire, artillery fragments, mines and NBC weapons.

The VBL is fully amphibious and can swim at 5.4 km/h; it is also air transportable by C-130, C-160 and A400M. It was developed during the 1980s and entered operational service in France in 1990. It has a fuel consumption of 16 litres per 100 km.

The VBL has been used in many peacekeeping operations, notably in Bosnia, Lebanon, Somalia and Kosovo.

In the 2000s and 2010s, the VBL has also been used by French forces in Ivory Coast, in Afghanistan and in Northern Mali.

Due to the contribution of the French Army to the Blue Helmets in Yugoslavia, the VBL was one of the ubiquitous sights in the Siege of Sarajevo, earning it the nickname of "Sarajevo Taxi".

The Nigerian Army used the Panhard VBL M11 during Counter Insurgency operations in the Niger Delta, the Jos Plateau as well as counter-insurgency operations in the North of the Country in 2013. The Nigerian Army versions carry a .50 BMG (12.7x99mm NATO) Browning HMG.