This is the CV90 combat vehicle Sweden is sending to Ukraine
Advanced infantry fighting vehicles, or IFVs in the CV90 series, are the standout item in Sweden’s new military aid package to Ukraine, which the government announced in Stockholm today. While a Swedish weapons transfer had been expectedpreviously only Archer self-propelled artillery systems had actually been confirmed, with CV90 now ensures that Ukraine will also get its hands on one of the most capable IFVs currently available in Europe.
The package presented today is valued at around $419 million and as well as IFVs and self-propelled artillery are also included NLAW anti-tank weapons, mine clearance equipment and automatic rifles. The number of archers to be delivered has not been disclosed, but Sweden has 48 of these systems, which combine a 155mm gun howitzer with a 6×6 wheeled chassis, at its disposal.
“Ukraine’s victory in this war is of almost indescribable significance,” Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said at a press conference today, describing Ukraine’s resistance to the Russian full-scale invasion as a fight for the freedom of all of Europe.
“That’s one of the biggest reasons why so many countries are doing so much to help Ukraine right now,” Kristersson said. “The moral support is important, but also our common security.”
Although the exact number of CV90-series IFVs to be delivered to Kyiv has not been announced, Sweden has said that it will deliver “about 50.”
According to data from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), in 2022 the Armed Forces had 369 examples of the CV9040 version (locally known as Strf 9040), of which 54 were equipped as Stripbv 90 command mail vehicles. In addition, Sweden has another 42 examples of the Epbv 90 version, a special reconnaissance vehicle used to direct artillery and mortar fire. Neither the Stripbv 90 nor the Epbv 90 are equipped with a main gun. In addition, there are other CV90-based vehicles in Swedish service such as self-propelled mortar systems, self-propelled anti-aircraft guns and armored recovery vehicles.
Sweden’s CV90, or Combat Vehicle 90 series, was originally planned in the mid-1980s as a family of combat vehicles and has resulted in a variety of variants for different missions and customer requirements. The vehicle began as a joint effort between the Defense Materiel Works and two local companies, Hägglunds and Bofors.
Today, the CV90 is a product of BAE Systems Hägglunds and more than 1,280 vehicles has been completed in over a dozen main varieties. The CV90 is in service or has been ordered by eight countries, five of which are currently members of NATO: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Slovakia.
In IFV form, the CV90 carries particularly hard-hitting main armament, with options of 30mm, 35mm and 40mm guns in a turret that has a full 360-degree traverse. With a 40mm Bofors autocannon in a stabilized turret, the CV9040 used by the Swedish Armed Forces carries the most potent armament of any Western European IFV. There is also a coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun.
Although the particular variant of the CV9040 delivered to Ukraine has not been confirmed, it is possible that Sweden will deliver CV9040C version that was modified specifically for international operations and has since also been used for crew training. This model has an enhanced level of armor protection, “significantly higher” than the basic version, according to the Swedish Armed Forces. Specific protective measures are designed to offer better defense against mines, small-caliber ammunition and grenades. There are also laser shields on the crew’s periscope to protect their eyes from harmful laser light.
The CV9040 weighs just over 25 tons when ready for combat and has a capacity for a maximum of eight soldiers and is operated by a crew of three: commander, driver and gunner. In Swedish service, however, the basic CV9040’s troop complement is normally reduced to a squad of seven, along with their full equipment, while the armored CV9040C version has a capacity for six soldiers, as a result of the added weight of its modifications.
The CV9040’s Nordic origins ensure that it has very good mobility over snow and through marshes and swamps, which could be of great benefit to Ukraine. It is also designed to function in extremely cold conditions.
Overall, as a modern and highly efficient IFV, the CV9040 will bring to Ukraine many of the same capabilities offered by the US M2 Bradleyas we have discussed for a long time before. American IFVs will, at least initially, also be delivered in broadly similar numbers, with 50 Bradleys now on their way to the stricken country.
And while the CV9040 lacks anti-tank missiles, like the TOW missiles on the M2 Bradley, its Bofors gun is already a powerful weapon against opposition Russian tanks, especially those of the previous generation, not to mention Soviet-era IFVs. Meanwhile, a choice of 40mm ammunition means that the same gun can also engage a wide range of other targets, including more lightly protected targets including enemy personnel.
Along with the Bradley, the CV9040 goes some of the way to meeting Kiev’s longstanding request for modern Western armor. Although both fall short of the all-round package of armor, firepower and mobility offered by a modern Western main battle tankthese two IFVs are among the most capable of their kind and are far more realistic prospects on the modern battlefield than the Cold War-era BMP series that still make up the majority of Ukraine’s IFV fleet.
Like the Bradley, the CV9040 will be able to more safely move Ukrainian troops around high-risk areas while providing a significant degree of anti-tank and anti-troop capability.
Should the Ukrainian Armed Forces go ahead with a promised future offensive to liberate Crimeafor example, modern IFVs such as the CV9040 are likely to play a prominent role, providing a new level of troop survivability and maneuverability.
Before promises to deliver the Bradley and CV9040, the most modern IFV that was approved for transfer to Kyiv was the German Marder. This, although a more modern proposition than the BMP-1/2 series, is a generation older than the American and Swedish IFVs. Otherwise, the only other vehicles of this class that have been made available to Ukraine are other BMPs, taken from stocks in other European NATO countries.
What’s more, although the initial batch of 50 or so CV9040s earmarked for Ukraine represents a fairly small force, it is possible that other CV90 operators may also provide some of their vehicles. A coalition of countries could potentially collaborate on such a project, similar to the recent proposal for the multinational transfer of Leopard 2 tanks submitted by Poland.
Even for Sweden, the transfer of advanced military equipment like this is significant. Previously, other than a batch of Hellfire missiles in their coastal defense formSweden has not provided heavier weapons to Kyiv.
Therefore, the latest package marks a major policy change, the importance of which is only increased by the fact that Sweden currently holds the rotating EU presidency and has applied (alongside Finland) to join NATO.
Today’s announcement is likely to be just the beginning of what could be a very busy few days in terms of providing military assistance to Ukraine. Tomorrow, defense ministers from around 50 countries will meet at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany to discuss the next step in arming Ukraine. Ultimately, this may well see an end to the long-running debate over whether Germany will approve transfer of Leopard 2 tanksincluding those taken from warehouses in third party countries.
In the meantime, with the transfer of the M2 Bradley and now confirmed CV9040, Ukraine will at least for the future have two of the most capable Western infantry fighting vehicles at its disposal.
Update, 11:00 a.m. PST: The original version of this story stated that Sweden currently has 35 Archer self-propelled artillery systems, a figure provided in The military balance 2022 from the International Institute for Strategic Studies. In a press conference today, Sweden’s Minister of Defense Pål Jonson confirmed that Sweden actually has 48 archers. These include 24 in active use and 24 in storage (originally built for Norway but not since delivered). Of these, 20 are immediately available for delivery.