Army to receive the first new 6x6 armoured personnel carriers

The Army will receive the first new 6x6 armoured personnel carriers of the APC variant developed in the Finland-led collaboration programme. The pre-series vehicles will undergo testing for the possible serial procurement.

The Finnish Defence Forces’ Logistics Command has signed the contracts for the procurement of the pre-series vehicles of the Patria 6x6 armoured personnel carrier variant. Amounting to altogether three armoured personnel carriers, the pre-series also includes related equipment and training in vehicle use and servicing. The total value of the procurement, VAT excluded, is c. EUR 3,9 million. The Army will receive the APCs in June this year.

During 2022, the pre-series vehicles procured will undergo testing in the Army. This testing will inform determining the set vehicle equipment for the possible serial procurement of the APC variant. The objective is to have the serial procurement to start in 2023. Decisions concerning the procurement acquisition will be taken separately.

Initiated in 2019, the Army armoured vehicle programme started as a Finland-led multinational collaboration effort in cooperation with Latvia, Estonia and Patria (referred to as the CAVS programme, Common Armoured Vehicle System). 

The programme develops the wheeled mobility of Army troops well into the 2060s. In cooperation with Patria and Latvia, an armoured wheeled vehicle system has been developed on the Patria 6x6 armoured chassis platform which meets the jointly set requirements, including a related armoured personnel carrier and command post vehicle.

- The programme has advanced well, and multinational cooperation has run fluently as part of this. Now that the vehicle variant suitable for personnel transport is ready, it is great to be able to have the first vehicles to undergo testing in the Army. The new vehicle will significantly improve troop mobility, and also crew comfort is excellently enhanced by the ergonomic design, Lieutenant Colonel Riku Rantakari from the Army Command points out.

The programme advanced to the research and product development phase in autumn 2020. The Finnish Ministry of Defence and Patria signed a Letter of Intent on the procurement of 160 new armoured personnel carriers in autumn 2021. Also, Sweden has officially stated its interest in joining the programme.

The Army will issue further releases as the programme advances.

For our previous press release, see here.

Photo: Patria