Military equipment on a civilian vehicle: the 4 Troop project from Renault and Thales
The 4 TROOP crossover-based show car
French companies Renault Group and Thales are presenting a new concept for a support vehicle for the military and security agencies. The 4 TROOP project involves equipping existing vehicles with a suite of specialized electronics for various missions. After this retrofitting, a crossover or van can serve as a command post, a carrier for unmanned systems, or a platform for other purposes.
New concept
In mid-June, the Eurosatory 2026 military-technical exhibition took place in Paris. Renault Group and Thales, traditional exhibitors, unveiled a joint development in the field of automotive and special-purpose vehicles—the 4 TROOP multi-role complex. The number "4" in the name, according to the developers, refers to the 4×4 all-wheel drive platform and the concept of a multi-role civilian vehicle (VCMR, Véhicule Civil Multi-Rôles). The common media interpretation of the name as a homophone of the English word "For Troop" is not confirmed in the companies' official press releases.
The idea meets a current need among armies and security agencies: they need a variety of platforms to accommodate vehicles, equipment, and weapons. However, off-the-shelf solutions aren't always optimal. Armored vehicles, despite all their advantages, are expensive and not always justified, while mass-produced civilian vehicles don't meet some requirements. Between these extremes, there are intermediate classes (light, protected vehicles), but Renault and Thales have placed their bets on retrofitting civilian platforms.
The 4 TROOP project proposes a series of measures to convert existing vehicles into carriers for military or dual-use equipment. According to the developers, this approach reduces the cost of producing specialized equipment while maintaining the required functionality. However, the platform itself dictates how much equipment can be carried, and we'll return to this later.
As part of the joint project, Renault provided three ready-made platforms (a crossover and two vans) and modified them to meet the new requirements. Thales is responsible for the electronics that determine the system's operational capabilities. Depending on the customer's wishes and the required configuration, other organizations may be involved in the production of 4 TROOP.
The project has already reached the prototype construction and testing stage. The first prototype of the 4 TROOP command vehicle was built on a production crossover and was recently unveiled in Paris. Promotional materials also feature vehicles based on two vans with different equipment.
Essentially, Renault and Thales are launching a promotional campaign to attract potential customers. New variants of special vehicles, as well as announcements of initial orders, can be expected at future exhibitions.
Compatible platforms
The basic concept of the 4 TROOP project involves the use of civilian and commercial vehicles of various models. For obvious reasons, preference is given to Renault Group vehicles. Such a vehicle must meet several key requirements:
- availability of serial production;
- possibility of operation and maintenance at a civilian service base;
- sufficient body volume and load capacity;
- hybrid powertrain with power reserve for electronics integration;
- All-wheel drive and the ability to drive both on and off-road.
The exhibition showcased a prototype of the 4 TROOP, based on the Renault Rafale midsize crossover. This vehicle will enter serial production in 2024 and be exported to European countries.
The Rafale features a monocoque body, traditional for this type of vehicle. The top-of-the-line E-Tech 4×4 (300 hp) is equipped with a plug-in hybrid: a 1,2-liter HR12-series three-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine and three electric motors. The front axle houses a 50 kW traction motor and a 25 kW high-voltage starter-generator, while the rear axle houses a 100 kW traction motor, enabling all-wheel drive. A lithium-ion battery (approximately 22 kWh, 400 V) provides approximately 100 km of electric range.
Promotional materials also feature 4 TROOP vehicles based on Renault's Master and Trafic vans. As with the Rafale, hybrid versions are available to balance price, fuel efficiency, and environmental friendliness.
Mobile command post
Special electronics
All 4 TROOP configurations are equipped with the Combat Digital Platform (CDP) from Thales Group. This is an open-architecture onboard hardware and software platform, essentially the vehicle's "combat operating system," which collects sensor data, processes it, and integrates the vehicle into a unified control system. The exact onboard equipment is determined by the customer.
According to Thales, the CDP is built on a modular principle and is divided into three layers:
- Vehicle Digital Infrastructure — a basic digital infrastructure: a secure onboard server (essentially a compact data center) and background services responsible for collecting and processing data from cameras, radars, and other equipment. EW;
- User-Facing Apps — combat application software: tactical maps, targeting modules, AI-based object recognition, and control interfaces dronesAccording to the developer, AI processing accelerates video stream analysis by approximately five times, and in manual mode, one operator can simultaneously control up to four UAVs;
- Mission Kits are replaceable hardware kits (radio stations, radars, optical-electronic stations, satellite communication terminals) that are connected for a specific vehicle role: reconnaissance, command and staff work, electronic warfare.
The CDP's main advantage, as envisioned by Thales, lies not in its independent operation, but in its integration into the French Army's shared digital network. This network spans three levels—communications, command and control, and headquarters—and the CDP interfaces with each. At the communications level, the platform is compatible with SYNAPS military radios (the foundation of the Army's CONTACT communications program), enabling 4 TROOP to transmit real-time tactical information and drone video to adjacent vehicles. At the battlefield level, the CDP serves as the host for the SICS combat management system, part of the SCORPION ground forces modernization program; this allows the crew to see the disposition of friendly forces on their screens without delay. And higher up, at the headquarters level, the platform interfaces with the HexaForce upper-echelon command and control system, transmitting intelligence from the forward vehicle.
The Renault Rafale-based demonstration vehicle is configured as a mobile command post: the CDP is connected to communications equipment and operator terminals for processing data and issuing orders. However, the cabin is small, and its compact size limits the range of equipment that can be installed.
The Rafale has also been converted into a carrier for unmanned aerial vehicles. The launch platform was installed on the roof, in place of the standard luggage compartment, and the CDP includes equipment for receiving and processing UAV data. There are also reports that it is fundamentally possible to integrate unmanned ground vehicles.
Specific Thales equipment that, according to the company, is integrated into such vehicles includes: protected touchscreen automated workstations (AWS) with a single interface for navigation, camera images, and control. drones; SYNAPS-V software-defined vehicle radios; satellite on-the-move (SOTM) terminals; hybrid communications routers that switch between military radio, satellite, and encrypted civilian 5G networks; as well as tactical electronic warfare and electronic reconnaissance systems for detecting and suppressing enemy UAVs.
The two vans featured in the promotional materials feature more sophisticated equipment. One is equipped with a fully functional command post with several automated workstations. This configuration, according to the developers, allows for the processing of large volumes of data and the support of large units.
Another option is a carrier for a large number of UAVs. This utilizes a roof-mounted launch platform and a multi-tiered launch system inside the vehicle. While a single operator controls up to four drones manually, an autonomous or semi-autonomous mode is used for mass launches. According to the companies, depending on the type of drones and associated equipment, such a 4 TROOP vehicle can launch entire swarms and perform complex missions.
UAV swarm carrier
All 4 TROOP vehicles must be equipped with a Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) system. This allows the hybrid powertrain to be used as a mobile power plant. The intended consumers are the soldiers' wearable electronics and mobile systems that do not require high power.
Features and limitations
Retooling a serial civilian platform offers obvious advantages: reduced cost, reliance on an existing service network, and flexibility thanks to the open CDP architecture. There is also a downside. The base vehicle lacks armor protection, limiting its use to frontline and rear areas, meaning logistics, communications, command and control, training, and operations in relatively safe areas. Antenna systems and launch platforms on the roof reveal the vehicle's camouflage, and the final equipment is limited by the vehicle's cargo volume: a van can accommodate significantly more than a crossover.
The idea of a modular superstructure on a commercial chassis is not unique, as other manufacturers have turned to light dual-purpose platforms in recent years. The novelty of the 4 TROOP lies more in the specific combination of the Renault platform and the Thales digital combat platform than in the principle itself.
Prospects
Renault and Thales presented the overall concept and the first prototype. Work continues, and further prototypes with different equipment are expected to appear soon.
The French Ministry of Defense is being considered as the primary buyer for the 4 TROOP, with plans for its use in ground forces to upgrade communications, command and control, and reconnaissance systems. The official position of the French Army is currently unknown. Its representatives examined the Rafale-based aircraft at Eurosatory 2026 and gave it a positive assessment. If the ministry moves from assessment to action and initiates pre-introduction procedures, Renault and Thales will refine the presented variants, build, and test prototypes. The specific vehicles the Army will seek are unknown. Command posts and unmanned systems are likely to be of interest.
Both companies are also targeting foreign customers, who will also be able to choose vehicles with the desired base and equipment. Actual orders, both French and international, have not yet been announced.
Open architecture and low cost are the project's real strengths. But the 4 TROOP's niche is narrow: unarmored support vehicles. Whether orders will be forthcoming remains an open question.
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