Swedish armor success in Europe – it also trickles down a bit to Norwegian industry
The CV90 user club, which Norway has been a part of since 1994, is in the process of gaining new members: the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
While earlier in December Slovakia signed a contract with Sweden for 152 stormtroopers from BAE Systems, this week an MoU was concluded with the Czech Republic, where it is announced that they are in final negotiations for 210 CV90s.
This is in addition to the fact that a week ago BAE Systems Hägglunds received an order for at least 436 tracked vehicles of the BvS10 type for Sweden, Germany and Great Britain,
– There is a good atmosphere in the company, says Roy Werner Russ, who is the Norwegian head of BAE Systems Hägglunds, to Teknisk Ukeblad.
Swedish wagons are built in Levanger
– The sum of all these contracts means that we fill up with the company in the factory in Örnsköldsvik, even though we are investing in increased production capacity. That is why we are looking at industrial outlays for partners in Europe. Ritek in Levanger is an example that makes the CV90 the Swedish customer, and it is planning several solutions in different countries, says Russ.
The fact that things are hectic at Hägglunds contributes to more activity also for industry partners such as those in Norway. In November it became clear that Ritek is brought into the international CV90 supply chain to contribute to the ongoing Swedish upgrade program (CV90 RENO).
The Defense Materiel Administration (FMV) has entered into a so-called follow-up contract with BAE Systems for new variants of Stridsfordon 90: Driftstödspansarbandvagn (DSpbv 90D) and Pionjärpansarbandvagn (Pipbv 90D).
Russ says that it was quite natural to remove this part of the Swedish upgrade to Ritek, which has the capacity and expertise and because the wagons will be relatively similar to the turretless CV90 variants the Levanger company has already built for Norway.
Iron Fist and Spike
Today, around 1,300 CV90s are in operation in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
In addition to the task of upgrading Swedish and Dutch vehicles, both the Czech Republic and Slovakia have therefore chosen the CV90 as a new assault armored vehicle, what is known in English as an “Infantry Fighting Vehicle” (IFV).
The upcoming armored vehicles for Slovakia and the Czech Republic are designated CV90 MkIV and have, among other things, a newly developed turret and integrated active protection (APS) of the Iron Fist type from Elbit Systems and anti-tank missiles of the Spike LR type from Rafael – both Israeli systems.
Here they can share the relatively large and complex integration jobs that have already been done in connection with the Dutch upgrade. It is basically an example of the benefits of being part of a user club where old and new customers can take advantage of each other’s investments in keeping the wagons modern and capable.
Three years ago, BAE Systems and Rafael collaborated to fire the Spike LR from the CV90. Three weeks ago, a similar test was carried out, now with the anti-tank missile Akeron MP (formerly MMP) from MBDA in France.
The first of 122 upgraded CV9035s for the Netherlands was delivered in October and series production is about to start. The integration of Iron Fist was completed last year and data from here shares with example Norway.
According to Future acquisitions for the defense sector (FAF) 2022-2029, it is a project that will aim to install APS also on Norwegian vehicles at the end of this period.
In June, it was ten years since Norway ordered 144 new assault armored vehicles, CV90 MkIIIb, in five different variants. These were delivered in the period September 2015 to April 2019.
Although this was an increase from the 104 CV9030 MkI ordered in 1994, it is not enough to support the later agreed creation of a fourth mechanized battalion and establishment of Finnmark land defence.
The pandemic helped speed up the acquisition of parts of the new maneuver department equipment. It was May 13 this year delivery of the first four of a total of additional turretless combat and support vehicles distributed among eight multi-vehicles and twelve assault engineer vehicles (Sting) at Ritek.
Defense material started at the same time the work with a possible upcoming call likely to be offered more assault armored vehicles (SPV), including reconnaissance vehicles (OPV) and battle management vehicles (Striled).