April 9, 2016: The U.S. ordered 62 Bastion 4x4 wheeled APCs armored personnel carriers in 2015 specifically for Cameroon, Ethiopia, Somalia, Tunisia, Mali and Uganda to use at home and in peacekeeping missions. Some of these Bastions have shown up in Mali recently used by the Mali Army. Tunisia, Somalia and Uganda have found have found the vehicles effective in combat zones. Tunisia and Somalia used theirs at home while Uganda had them accompany Ugandan troops on peacekeeping missions. Most of the Bastion’s have been delivered and all will arrive by 2017.

In effect the 12 ton Bastion is MRAP lite as it has many of the same design features of an MRAP but is not as well protected against mines and roadside bombs. It can carry up to twelve (usually 8-10) and has a turret mounted heavy machine-gun or automatic grenade launcher. Bastion does have excellent cross-country mobility and was designed mainly as a reconnaissance vehicle that can also serve as convoy escort or in peacekeeping operations. Built in France, Bastion is also used by the French military.