Latvia purchases surplus British Army armoured vehicles
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 4 September that it has sold 123 surplus combat reconnaissance armoured vehicles to the Latvian Army in a £39.4 million package.
The vehicles - understood to be Scimitar, Scorpion and Samaritan vehicles of the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) family of vehicles - have previously used by UK forces on operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iraq and Afghanistan.
According to the MoD, the vehicles became available following the strategic defence and security review in 2010 in which they were identified as surplus to requirements as the UK’s armed forces restructure to better meet the challenges they will face in the future.
The vehicles, which will be overhauled and refurbished under the package, will give the Latvian Army enhanced transportation capabilities for infantry, reconnaissance teams, air defence sections and mortar fire controllers. They will also provide vital battlefield capabilities including ambulances, armoured command vehicles and armoured recovery vehicles.
Michael Fallon, Defence Secretary, said: ‘I am delighted that Latvia will soon benefit from these proven and life-saving battlefield capabilities, including ambulances and command centres.
‘This is just one way we are supporting our Baltic NATO allies. As a leading member of NATO the UK is keen to restate publicly our support for the collective security of its members and enable our partners to contribute to international peacekeeping and security operations.’
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Land Warfare
-
![Can Iranian air defence systems compete for exports?]()
Can Iranian air defence systems compete for exports?
Iran’s defence industry is now producing a range of surface-to-air missile systems and has begun to market them internationally. Using what appears to be a mixture of original and reverse-engineered elements, how do they stack up compared to other countries’ offerings?
-
![Supply of new self-propelled guns is rising to meet looming demand]()
Supply of new self-propelled guns is rising to meet looming demand
As the need for self-propelled artillery continues to climb across Europe and NATO-allied nations, orders for existing capabilities continue to roll in while new and improved weapons are on the way.
-
![US Army seeks industry support to prepare acquisitions of Group 4+ UAVs]()
US Army seeks industry support to prepare acquisitions of Group 4+ UAVs
The US Army is keen to hear about vendor designs, strategies and potential hardware and software solutions to inform requirements for procurement efforts.
-
![Dedicated drone munitions could unlock modular mission potential]()
Dedicated drone munitions could unlock modular mission potential
Top attacks have proven effective against heavily armoured vehicles in Ukraine. A new family of uncrewed aerial system-delivered munitions is looking to press that advantage further.
-
![Elbit bets on local content for US howitzer bid as it faces off against popular systems]()
Elbit bets on local content for US howitzer bid as it faces off against popular systems
The Israeli company hopes that producing its Sigma artillery system wholly in the US will help it win a key US Army contract, but it will be up against the popular CAESAR Mk II wheeled weapon and the K9 tracked.
