The Finnish Defence Forces are acquiring heavy Patria 6x6 armoured vehicles as part of the Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS) programme.
The Finnish Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen has authorized the Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command to initiate a serial procurement of heavy 6x6 armoured personnel carrier vehicles from Patria.
The first phase of the acquisition will include one pre-series vehicle and 20 Kongsberg’s remote weapon stations which will be integrated in the vehicles. The acquisition will also include an option for additional purchases of 18 vehicles as well as provisions for vehicle outfitting, maintenance, spare parts, and training.
“The heavy armoured vehicle variants deviate from Patria 6x6 basic vehicle variants with a higher protection rate and fire power which enables better cover for example in crisis management tasks. The heavy armoured Patria 6x6 vehicle with remote weapon systems is the end result of R&D teamwork of several countries”, says Jussi Järvinen, Executive Vice President of Patria’s Finland Division.
In addition to Finland, The CAVS programme includes Latvia, Sweden, and Germany. Launched in 2020, the joint initiative has resulted in orders for about 700 Patria 6x6 vehicles.