Finland and Latvia proceed with R&D for common 6x6 vehicle
First deliveries could begin in 2021 if all goes to plan
The governments of Finland and Latvia signed a product development agreement with Finnish manufacturer Patria on 15 October, to pursue R&D of a common armoured vehicle based on the Patria 6x6 wheeled chassis.
Finland is leading the initiative. The agreement is worth about €7.3 million ($8.6 million) and followed a letter of intent signed by Finland and Latvia in January 2020.
‘The agreement makes it possible to build a comprehensive approach to develop common maintenance, logistics, training solutions or product development packages,’ the Finnish MoD noted in a statement.
Estonia joined the programme in April although it is not included in the latest R&D agreement.
Patria will manufacture a prototype multifunctional 6x6 platform to operate as an APC or C2 vehicle. Other vehicle variants may be developed at a later stage.
The product R&D phase is scheduled to end in late 2021. Afterwards the partner countries are expected to begin negotiations on potential procurement, although initial deliveries of the new 6x6 vehicles could be carried out in 2021.
Shephard Defence Insight notes that the acquisition schedule, number of vehicles ordered and variants developed will depend upon each individual country, while cost will be determined by the total volume of units ordered across all prospective users.
As part of our promise to deliver comprehensive coverage to our Defence Insight and Premium News subscribers, our curated defence news content provides the latest industry updates, contract awards and programme milestones.
More from Land Warfare
-
![Lockheed Martin signs Australian air and missile defence system deal]()
Lockheed Martin signs Australian air and missile defence system deal
Air 6500 Phase 1, worth AU$500 million (US$326 million), will result in a sovereign system that can provide greater situational awareness and help to defend against hostile aircraft and missiles. It will sit at the core of Australia’s Integrated Air and Missile Defence programme.
-
![Rheinmetall wins communications deal that could be worth up to €400 million]()
Rheinmetall wins communications deal that could be worth up to €400 million
The systems have been purchased under a special fund which has already been tapped into for the purchase of 60 CH-47F Block II Chinook helicopters worth up to €8 billion (US$8.7 billion) and thousands of Rheinmetall Caracal airmobile special operations vehicles worth €1.9 billion.
-
![The Philippines looks to Israel for military equipment amid South China Sea tensions]()
The Philippines looks to Israel for military equipment amid South China Sea tensions
The southeast Asian country has been enhancing its military readiness by procuring advanced Israeli defence platforms and systems.
-
![NSPA signs new helmet system deal and agreement for C-UAS systems]()
NSPA signs new helmet system deal and agreement for C-UAS systems
The Caiman helmet has been designed to be scalable for dynamic operations with mission-specific accessories and can incorporate electronics, communications headsets and other critical equipment.
