Renault Group and Thales unveiled 4 TROOP, a 4×4 hybrid tactical prototype built to operate and coordinate unmanned aerial and ground vehicles, at Eurosatory 2026. The companies describe 4 TROOP as a prototype of their Multi-Role Civil Vehicle (VCMR), a series automotive platform adapted to new operational requirements for land forces. Renault Group supplies the vehicle and its electronic architecture, while Thales integrates secure communications, tactical connectivity and AI-enabled decision support.
Highlights
- 4×4 platform with a hybrid drivetrain, combining discreet running with long-range capability.
- Operates and coordinates UAVs and UGVs and serves as a mobile command center through Thales’s Combat Digital Platform.
- A Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) function extends energy autonomy and can power electrical equipment in the field.
- Built on series Renault Group platforms — including SUVs and utility vehicles — for rapid production at controlled cost.
A Civilian Platform Adapted for Land Forces
4 TROOP grafts Thales’s military systems onto the electronic architecture of a series-production Renault Group vehicle, the Multi-Role Civil Vehicle (Véhicule Civil Multi-Rôles). The approach is intended to let the partners series-produce vehicles for rapid deployment at controlled cost, with the solution compatible across several models in the Renault Group range, including SUVs and utility vehicles. Renault Group’s after-sales network would also handle maintenance and through-life support, which the company says lightens the logistical footprint for armed forces.
“With the VCMR, which draws on the extensive range of Renault Group platforms, we are exploring a pragmatic, sovereign approach to operational mobility to quickly address new armed forces requirements and enhance the ability to anticipate developments and take action in the theatre of operations. Building on tried-and-trusted civil platforms and our industrial production capacity, we are proposing an agile, resilient capability that can be mobilised immediately,” said Franck Naro, Engineering Vice President – Vehicle Projects & Operations, Renault Group.
What Roles Can 4 TROOP Perform?
The prototype is designed to process large volumes of data and to operate and coordinate UAVs and unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) across a range of mission profiles. The company lists roles including decision support, reconnaissance, troop coordination, escort, logistical support, and surveillance of sensitive sites and areas, alongside the deployment of UAVs and UGVs. Configured as a mobile command center, the vehicle can be tailored to the exact requirements of specific land forces missions through Thales’s Combat Digital Platform.
Secure Communications and Decision Support
The command-and-control capability rests on Thales‘s Combat Digital Platform and its work in collaborative combat for land forces, spanning secure communications, tactical connectivity, multi-sensor coordination, and operational supervision and protection. The company says these cybersecure digital solutions meet armed forces’ operational and connectivity standards, and that the system is built to interoperate with existing command systems to support maneuvers and coordination on missions in France and abroad.
“4 TROOP goes beyond technological enhancements to show how synergy between Thales expertise and onboard digital systems for vehicles can create an innovative and distinctive integrated environment. Building on existing vehicle software solutions and Thales’s digital platforms, 4 TROOP transforms tactical data into an in-depth, actionable understanding of the environment to anticipate developments, decide and act with greater agility, efficiency and security. This innovation clears the way forward to a new generation of dual solutions where data acts as a performance enhancer and force multiplier to support domestic security operations as well as high-intensity combat missions,” said Christophe Salomon, Executive Vice President, Secure Communications and Information Systems, Thales.
Hybrid Drivetrain and Field Power
The 4×4 prototype uses a hybrid drivetrain that the company says pairs discreet operation with long range, allowing it to work across all types of terrain. Its Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) function increases energy autonomy and can power certain types of electrical equipment in the field.
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