Germany joins joint armored vehicle program with Finland, Sweden

Germany has joined Sweden, Finland, and Latvia in a multinational armored vehicle program to provide improved mobility and firepower to their armed forces.

The Common Armored Vehicle System (CAVS) initiative seeks to develop a family of armored vehicles to support combat, peacekeeping, and disaster relief missions.

Berlin became the latest member of the joint effort after signing a statement of intent on Monday.

According to Patria vice president Jukka Holkeri, the participation of Germany will bolster the mobility and security of supply among all participating nations.

“We gladly welcome Germany into the CAVS program,” he said. “The program provides all member nations the possibility to purchase cost-effective state-of-the-art and modular armored vehicles developed within unprecedented multinational cooperation.”

Orders Piling Up

The CAVS armored vehicle is based on Patria’s 6×6 vehicle that features amphibious capabilities and level 4 protection against kinetic energy and artillery weapons.

It has a top speed of 100 kilometers (62 miles) per hour and a maximum payload of 8,500 kilograms (18,739 pounds).

In 2021, Latvia ordered 200 6×6 armored personnel carriers as part of a 200-million-euro ($237 million) deal.

Finland also requested 160 and began receiving them for trials last summer.

On the day Germany signed the statement of intent, Sweden announced that it had ordered the first 20 troop transport vehicles for its armed forces.

The vehicles reportedly have a modular design and can be operated in rugged terrain and extreme weather conditions.