Slovakia Signs Agreement for 152 BAE Systems Hagglunds Combat Vehicles

BAE Systems will provide 152 Hagglunds Combat Vehicle 90 Mark IV (CV90 MkIV) to the Slovak Army under an agreement signed with the government June 28.

The vehicles will come armed with a 35mm cannon as its preferred tracked infantry fighting vehicle through a government-to-government (G2G) agreement with the Kingdom of Sweden.

The CV90 MkIV platforms are intended to replace the Slovak Army's fleet of half-a-century-old tracked IFVs. Key to securing Slovakia's defences, the tracked and wheeled armoured capabilities represent the most significant step towards forming a heavy mechanised brigade, which Slovakia has committed to under its 2017 NATO Capability Targets.

The prime contractor for the tracked armoured capability programme is state-owned company ZTS – ŠPECIÁL. Dozens of Slovak state-owned and private businesses will benefit from the project over the long term.

Based on the results published in the MOD's Feasibility Study Report, the SVK Ministry of Defence recommended the two variants of the Swedish-made CV90 mounted on the MkIV chassis – one armed with a 35mm cannon and the other one with a 30mm cannon – in the first and second place. These choices were followed by Hungary's LYNX KF41 in the third place and Spain's ASCOD in the fourth place.

The SVK Ministry of Defence has budgeted an estimated €1.688bn (incl. VAT) to procure the tracked armoured fighting vehicles. This figure also includes the projected infrastructure costs.