The Latvian defense ministry has ordered 200 6×6 armored personnel carriers (APC) that will be delivered as part of a framework agreement between Finland, Latvia and defense vehicle manufacturer Patria.
The vehicles will be delivered under a framework agreement announced on August 30, which will the parties involved to exercise joint procurement management, achieving technical and economic benefits from the overall procurement scope of the program.
Deliveries of the 200 APCs to Latvia are scheduled to take place between October 2021 and 2029. The contract is worth an estimated 200 million euros.
In addition to Latvia, Patria signed a letter of intent with the Finnish defense ministry for a future serial APC order for the Finnish armed forces. According to the defense ministry, the contract for 160 vehicles is expected to be concluded by 2023.
Both Patria and the Finnish defense ministry noted that the joint APC program was open to other countries with the mutual consent of the participating countries. Estonia joined the APC project in 2020, aiming to procure over 100 units to replace its fleet of some 140 Pasi armored personnel carriers which were delivered by Finland’s Patria. The announcements from late August did not provide updates regarding a potential Estonian APC order.
According to previous announcements, the APC will be based on the Patria 6×6 AFV chassis platform that meets the set capability requirements. The 6×6 is a 7,5-meter vehicle with STANAG level 4 protection and amphibious capabilities. It has a top speed of over 100 km/h and a maximum payload of 8,500 kilos.
“The serial production start of 6×6 vehicles is a significant milestone for us, and we at Patria are proud of providing our expertise in the joint program, which offers a very cost-effective solution for the participating countries. We believe that this will certainly be of interest also to other countries which are keen on enhancing their army mobility,” Esa Rautalinko, president and CEO of Patria, commented.
