Germany has signed a statement of intent to join the Finnish-led program to develop the next-generation of armored vehicles dubbed the “Common Armoured Vehicle System” (CAVS).
According to Finnish armored vehicle specialist Patria, who is the prime contractor on the program, the joining agreement is due to be signed before the end of 2022.
The program began in 2019 as a multinational cooperation between Finland, Latvia and Estonia.
Sweden joined the program in 2021, and in the same year, Latvia placed an order for the first batch of more than 200 personnel carrier armored vehicles (APC), with the delivery of first units set for this October.
In addition to Latvia, Finland signed a letter of intent in August 2021 for 160 new personnel vehicle carriers, while pre-series deliveries for Finland will take place in June.
Patria also revealed that Sweden signed a research and development agreement earlier this month for the research and product development phase.
Germany will be the fifth country to join the first stage of the multinational cooperation.
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.
“Patria 6×6 is a modular solution that can cover a wide range of needs. The interest from Germany towards the CAVS programme is yet another proof of a great concept. Having new parties involved in the programme benefits everybody in the form of improved mobility and maintenance capacity as well as increased cost-effectiveness,” Hugo Vanbockryck, head of market area Europe at Patria, said.
