The Slovak government will buy 152 CV90 armored combat vehicles (AFC) and tracked vehicles from a Swedish defense company BAE Systems/ Hägglunds in a deal worth more than 1.6 billion euros, said the Minister of Defense Jaroslav Nadthe Slovak News Agency reported.
Slovakia will receive the first round of vehicles 2025, with additional deliveries 2026-2028. The deal will take place through a government-to-government agreement.
Other competitors in the tender were from Hungary (offer Rheinmetalls Lynx KF41), Spain (offers General Dynamics ASCOD), and Poland.
NATO’s Central European members are dumping their old Soviet infantry vehicles and replacing them with Western equipment. Year 2020 Hungary valde Rheinmetalls Lynx, Poland has its own product, while the Czech procurement was stopped last year but is expected to start again in 2023. This need has become even more urgent since Russia invasion of Ukraine.
According to the Minister, this is the most important step towards fulfillment Slovakia commitment to build a heavy mechanized brigade.
“I am grateful to my colleagues for their unequivocal support for the selection, which meets the requirements of Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic to the fullest extent possible, the established financial limits, including the total price of the vehicle, logistical support, operating costs, as well as the criteria for real commitment from the domestic defense industry, says Nad.
“The primary subcontractor will be the state – owned company ZTS – Special and the project will benefit dozens of other Slovak state and private companies in the long term,” he added.
These vehicles will gradually replace the obsolete equipment of the Slovak Army ground forces.
“Together with the purchase of 8×8 wheeled combat vehicles, this is a key weapon for the protection and defense of Slovakia and the most important step towards the establishment of a heavily mechanized brigade in the sense of international commitments for the collective defense of North Atlantic Treaty Organization“, said Martina Koval Kakascikova, spokeswoman for the Slovak Ministry of Defense, to Novinky.cz.
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