Sweden joins Common Armoured Vehicle System programme

The FMV has signed a technical agreement with Estonia, Finland, and Latvia to jointly develop a new APC under the Finnish-led CAVS programme. (Försvarsmakten )

The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) has signed a technical agreement with Estonia,Finland, and Latvia to jointly develop a new 6×6 armoured personnel carrier (APC) under the Finnish-led Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS) programme, the Försvarsmakten (Swedish Armed Forces) announced on its website on 4 April.

FMV Project Manager Håkan Larsson said, “The countries have agreed on a technical basis for the new armoured vehicles. They should be robust, easy to maintain, and be as similar as possible between the countries.” He explained that the new vehicle would combine the robustness of the Patria XA-203 6×6 armoured vehicle with some newer technology from the XA-360 8×8 vehicle, citing as an example an independent suspension that will make it more comfortable to ride.

CAVS countries will use common components for the vehicles, increasing interoperability and reducing life cycle costs, according to the Försvarsmakten, which added that there would be some differences in weapons and management systems used by the co-operation partners.

After the development work is completed, the countries will sign individual production agreements specifying what versions they want to procure: troop transport, command, ambulance, and mortar carriers. The new vehicles should be delivered to Sweden in 2025 at the earliest.

Sweden announced its intention to join the CAVS programme at the end of 2021.

Latvia received the first four CAVS APCs on 3 November 2021 after Latvian National Armed Forces personnel completed two weeks of user, instructor, and maintenance training at Patria in Hämeenlinna, Finland, in October 2021 to prepare to operate the vehicles.