Czech Republic and Slovakia co-operate on CV90 MkIV IFV procurement

Slovak Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď and his Czech counterpart, Jana Černochová, signed a co-operation agreement on the procurement and operation of the CV90 MkIV IFV during SIAF 2022 on 27 August. (Slovak MoD)

Slovak Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď and his Czech counterpart, Jana Černochová, signed a co-operation agreement on the procurement and operation of the CV90 MkIV tracked infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) during the Slovak International Air Fest (SIAF) 2022 at Malacky-Kuchyňa Air Base on 27 August.

Naď said the two countries would support each other in the operation of the IFVs, training and exercises, and the delivery of spare parts and ammunition, as well as exchange experiences in using the vehicles.

Černochová added, “Given the benefits of lower prices and the fact that more such vehicles will be in the region, we can join forces to contract companies to deliver maintenance and repair services for the vehicles and to produce spare parts… What matters to our country is not only the number of vehicles, but also the price, the speed of delivery, and local industrial content.”

The Slovak government approved the procurement of 152 CV90 MkIV IFVs on 28 June through a government-to-government agreement with Sweden. The proposed timeline of deliveries is from the second quarter of 2025 to the third quarter of 2028, according to a May 2022 feasibility study by the Slovak Ministry of Defence (MoD) on the procurement of tracked armoured vehicles. The ministry expects the cost of the procurement, including estimated infrastructure costs, to be around EUR1.69 billion (USD1.7 billion).