No, the Centaur armored car of the Gendarmerie used during the riots does not have a machine gun.

The four Centaur armored vehicles deployed by the gendarmerie during the riots spread a lot of ink. On social media, several posts mention the installation of a remotely operated cupola equipped with a 7.62mm FN MAG 58 machine gun.

To illustrate the arrival of this equipment, a photo of the machine during its presentation at the Eurosatory fair where it was presented for the first time in its most advanced version, the one intended for foreign operations and the fight against terrorism.

Except that the four models used in recent days (two currently in the field, at Grigny, and two in reserve) are not equipped with the machine gun in question.

This 14-tonne 4×4 designed by the Alsatian company Soframe aims to modernize the Gendarmerie forces to replace the Berliet VBRG (Véhicules Blindés à Roues de la Gendarmerie) used since the 1970s. It has equipment that can be installed or not depending on The mission. If the machine gun is indeed part of the panoply, it will only be used in very specific situations, particularly Opex (outside operations).

An order of 90 Centaur

This armored police vehicle (VBMO) has been designed to deal with multiple threats, from a heavily armed madman to guerrilla situations, including riots and natural disasters.

Its trump card is the protection of the gendarmes who, from inside the vehicle, can see thanks to a camera capable, according to the manufacturer, of identifying a person several kilometers away day and night and detecting roadblocks. To eliminate these obstacles, it has blades on pneumatic cylinders at the front.

At the rear, four powerful microphones are installed in a turret for 360-degree detection and localization of the source of firing sound waves. Finally, a remote-controlled grenade launcher is installed as standard to simultaneously launch about thirty projectiles against only one for the VBRG.

In 2021, the Ministry of the Interior placed an order for 90 Centaurs for a total amount of 57 million euros. The first were delivered at the end of 2022 and all of them will equip the Armored Groups of the Mobile Gendarmerie (GBGM) in 2025. One third is destined for the Paris region, one third for the provinces and one third for overseas territories.