Latvia orders more Patria 6x6 vehicles
Latvia plans to order more than 200 vehicles. (Photo: Latvian MoD)
The first Latvian-made Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS) 6x6 armoured personnel carrier was delivered to the Latvian National Armed Forces (NAF) in August, and more than 200 vehicles are expected to be delivered by 2029.
Latvia has signed up for another 56 CAVS 6x6 vehicles in command-and-control formation, in addition to platforms it has already ordered. The agreement is valued at more than €60 million (US$63 million).
Production of the vehicles will take place in Latvia, and will include work at Patria’s armoured vehicle production facility in Valmiera, which opened in May 2024. Delivery of the vehicles will begin by the end of 2024, and run through until 2029.
The multinational CAVS programme includes Finland, Latvia, Sweden and Germany, with deliveries already underway to the first three of these countries.
Andris Sprūds, minister of defence of the Republic of Latvia, said the vehicles were an important asset for the defence forces.
“The new vehicles will significantly improve the operational capabilities of our armed forces, as well as contributing to the development of the Latvian military industry, continuing the successful cooperation between the defence sector and industry,” Sprūds said.
In mid-2013, Finland ordered 91 vehicles, with an option for 70 more. Taking up that option, Finland ordered 41 CAVS in early 2024, and completed its purchase in September with an additional 29 vehicles.
The vehicles can carry an 8.5t payload and can be configured for a variety of roles, including as a carrier for Patria's NEMO 120mm turret mortar system, or as an ambulance.
They provide baseline NATO STANAG 4560 Level 2 ballistic protection, which can be increased to Level 4, and the basic level of mine/IED protection, which can also be increased up to Level 4, offering protection against a 10kg (22 pound) mine blast.
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