Latvia receives first Patria 6x6 vehicles under joint programme with Finland
The Patria 6x6 is the basis for the new Finnish-Latvian vehicle. (Photo: Patria)
Finnish company Patria has announced on 29 October that it has delivered the first 6x6 armoured wheeled vehicles to Latvia under a collaborative programme with Finland.
Jussi Järvinen, president of the land business unit in Patria, said that the programme is on schedule and this handover ‘will build even more confidence’ towards in the joint effort and increase interest from other countries in the 6x6 platform.
A week before the handover of the vehicles, user training of the 6x6 vehicle was completed at the Patria facility in Hämeenlinna, where soldiers from the Latvian National Armed Forces participated in a two-week user, instructor and maintenance training course.
Latvia has procured more than 200 6x6 armoured personnel carriers and Finland intends to order 160 units in 2023.
Patria did not disclose details on the number of the vehicles that were handed over to Latvia.
In 2020, Finland and Latvia agreed on a joint development programme to improve the mobility of their ground forces. The aim was to develop a new armoured vehicle system based on the Patria 6x6 armoured vehicle.
In August 2021, the two countries signed a Frame Agreement for production phase management and Sweden has announced its intention to join the programme.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Land Warfare
-
Arquus and Milrem push their UGVs fitted with long-range missiles
Arquus displayed the Drailer uncrewed ground vehicle (UGV) integrating the Akeron LP long-range missile at the Techterre technology demonstrator event ahead of trials in September.
-
Czech CAESAR howitzer order at risk of cancellation
The Czech Republic ordered 52 CAmion Equipé d’un Système d’ARtillerie (CAESAR) self-propelled howitzers (SPHs) in 2021 and added another 10 a year later. A cancellation of the programme would impact both the army’s capabilities and local industry which is involved in the manufacture.
-
Sweden turns to Nammo and Rheinmetall as world demand grows for 155mm shells
Demand for ammunition continues to increase with manufacturing capability growing to match. Sweden have turned to the two supply lines of Rheinmetall and Nammo as part of a Nordic effort to meet demand. The Polish Government has also announced a US$700 million investment to boost manufacture of munitions.
-
Malaysia signs for two additional GM400α air surveillance radars
The order is in addition to two systems ordered in 2023. It forms part of a family of systems which is becoming widely used and part of a growing demand for the capability, both in deliveries and requirements.
-
US Army’s Precision Strike Missile moves into production phase after test successes
Lockheed Martin’s Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) is a next-generation surface-to-surface missile system and is a planned replanned replacement for MGM-140 Army Tactical Missiles System (ATACMS). It is to be fired from M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers.