No surprise as Sweden signs up for multinational 6x6 initiative
Patria 6x6 APC. (Photo: Patria)
Sweden on 14 December officially announced that it will join the Finnish-led multinational 6x6 Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS) programme, confirming an earlier report by Shephard.
‘This milestone is significant for the whole programme. Extensive cooperation and network between countries will improve the mobility, cost-effectiveness, cooperation capabilities and maintenance capacity of the participating countries,’ said Jussi Järvinen, president of the Land Business Unit at Patria.
He added that ‘the result of this programme is a very cost-effective solution for participating countries’.
An official at the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration previously told Shephard that 6x6 vehicles procured under CAVS could ‘supplement our current fleet of Patria vehicles’, as the Swedish Army looks to double its number of brigades to four by 2030.
Finland and Latvia are the other CAVS participants: the former signed an LoI in December 2019 to order 160 APCs for delivery by 2023 while the latter received its first batch of vehicles in October 2021 under an order for 200 placed in August that year.
Estonia signed an LoI in 2019 and remains involved in the technical arrangement that forms the basis of CAVS, although the Baltic republic has not yet signed a framework contract to order vehicles.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Patria 6x6 CAVS (Batch 1) [Sweden]
Patria 6x6 (Batch 1) [Finland]
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Land Warfare
-
Clearer military requirements could unlock UGV market growth
Western armies continue to test uncrewed ground vehicles, but wider procurement will depend on turning ambitions for autonomy into defined operational roles and funded requirements.
-
Can NATO’s CUAS marketplace turn urgent demand into deliveries?
Framework contracts and leasing options aim to shorten acquisition timelines, while manufacturing partnerships could help suppliers scale production to meet allied demand.
-
A medium UGV market emerges as the US weighs up its options
The US is pursuing multiple UGV programmes, from commercial robotic platforms to new autonomy technologies. The combination of these efforts could prove key to turning ambition into operational capability.
-
NATO looks for answers to overcome standards hurdles and improve procurement
NATO is looking to artificial intelligence to provide integration between different C2 systems to create a common operational picture, potentially offering a faster route to interoperability than the slow-moving processes of NATO standards committees.
-
NATO FUSE exercise plays out real-world scenario in the face of eastern border risks
The large-scale exercise in Latvia was the culmination of three experimentation initiatives to see how platforms, weapons and systems could fit into the alliance’s Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative. As well as forces, it brought together companies and equipment.
-
Canada accelerates uncrewed aerial system procurement for NATO and Arctic forces
Canada plans to acquire at least 120 uncrewed aerial systems through two competitions with combined funding ceilings of C$32 million.