The first prototype of the Giat Industries Leclerc ARV was completed in the spring of 1994 and shown for the first time at the EuroSatory 94 exhibition in June 1994.

Giat Industries built two prototypes of the Leclerc ARV, or DNG (Depanneur Nouvelle Generation) as it is also referred to. The first customer is the United Arab Emirates which has ordered 46. The French Army has placed an initial order for 15 Leclerc ARVs with the total requirement of more than 30 vehicles as the current AMX-30D ARV cannot recover the heavier Leclerc MBT. Production of this vehicle is now under way and first vehicles have been delivered to the UAE.

The Leclerc ARV has been designed to carry out three missions: recover a disabled tank, tow a broken down or damaged tank and carry out repairs in the forward area, for example change a complete power pack.

The Leclerc ARV is based on automotive components of the export version of the Leclerc MBT, including the power pack, but has a longer chassis with seven roadwheels either side (the Leclerc MBT has six) and a new superstructure. French Army Leclerc ARVs will have the same powerpack as those of the United Arab Emirates.

The SAMM hydropneumatic suspension system is retained, as is the track tensioning system that allows the driver to adjust the track tension without leaving his position.

Mounted at the front of the Leclerc ARV is a hydraulically operated blade which can be used as a stabiliser when the crane or winch is being used, or as a dozer blade to clear battlefield obstacles.

The hydraulic crane has a maximum capacity of 30,000 kg while the main winch has a maximum capacity on a single line pull of 35,000 kg and is provided with 180 m of cable. An auxiliary winch is fitted with a capacity of 1,500 kg.

The recovery equipment used in the Leclerc ARV has been supplied by MaK of Germany and is the same as that in the Buffel ARV used by the German and Netherlands armies.

In 1997, Giat Industries of France promoted the chassis of the Leclerc MBT for a much wider range of roles under the designation E-Force, with the E standing for Engineer.

This covers the Leclerc ARV covered previously, K2D mineclearing kit, EPG Armoured Engineering Vehicle and the PTG armoured bridge launching vehicle.

The K2D mineclearing kit can quickly be fitted to the Leclerc ARV. Mounted at the front of the hull is a British Pearson Engineering Full Width Mineplough (FWMP) which incorporates the latest DEMETER electromagnetic signature duplicator from Giat Industries.

This is designed to trigger magnetic mines ahead of the vehicle. The vehicle also has the Pearson Engineering Pathfinder dual minefield marking system which has been specially designed for this application. Each unit has 100 reusable markers which are fired into the ground using compressed air and allow the following units to determine the cleared path through the minefield.

Mounted either side at the rear of the hull is a Polish Pronit rocket propelled mineclearing system which fires a rocket to which is attached an explosive charge across the minefield.

This falls to the ground and is then detonated so clearing any mines by creating an overpressure. Each Pronit clears a path about 110 m long and between 4 and 8 m wide depending on the type of mine.

The Pathfinder and Pronit are mounted on a sub-frame which can quickly be fitted or removed from the Leclerc ARV; it can also be fitted to the Leclerc EPG engineering vehicle. Another possible alternative is the installation of a module carrying the Giat Industries Minotaur mine scattering system.

These modules are exchanged using the vehicles onboard crane which can lift a maximum load of 30 tonnes.

The K2D can quickly be installed on the Leclerc ARV after the removal of the front-mounted dozer blade. The crane and winches are retained so allowing the vehicle to recover damaged and disabled vehicles.