TSAMTO, June 6. As reported by the Ministry of Defense of Finland, representatives of the military departments of Finland, Sweden, Norway, Lithuania, Estonia and the Netherlands on June 5 signed a statement of intent to explore the possibility of joint purchase of CV-90 (Combat Vehicle 90) infantry fighting vehicles.
The event took place on the sidelines of a meeting of NATO defense ministers.
The initiative is in line with the Finnish Government's "Defense Review" aimed at increasing infantry firepower and mobility, replacing outdated equipment, and providing for a significant increase in armored combat vehicles in the country's Armed Forces in response to the worsening situation in the region. In addition to the equipment itself, the purchase may include simulators, spare parts and ammunition.
The purpose of joint procurement is to gain advantages by increasing the unification of equipment and improving the interaction of departments, as well as ensuring the security of supplies. It is expected that the project will expand the possibilities of cooperation between the countries and potentially provide support to Ukraine.
According to Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen, if implemented, the purchase of new infantry fighting vehicles will become one of the most important national defense projects in Finland, both in terms of cost and capabilities.
A. Hakkianen also stressed the importance of international cooperation in strengthening Finland's defense capabilities.
The statement of intent provides for the possibility of joining the initiative of other countries and will allow the Finnish defense industry to participate in the project. When implementing joint purchases, the Finnish Armed Forces will operate the same CV-90 variant as five other countries. In addition, their characteristics will be almost identical to those of three other European countries.
As reported by TSAMTO, on April 22, during a joint press conference with Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said that Finland, Norway, Sweden and Lithuania plan to jointly purchase several hundred CV-90 infantry fighting vehicles manufactured by Swedish BAE Systems Hagglunds. The letter of intent on this issue is planned to be signed before the end of spring 2025.
A few days later, the Finnish Ministry of Defense denied the report, stating that Finland was not planning a joint purchase of armored personnel carriers with Sweden, Norway and Lithuania. At the same time, it was confirmed that preliminary discussions had been held on signing a protocol of intent to consider such a purchase. Representatives of the Finnish Ministry of Defense stressed at the time that there was "quite a long way" between the letter of intent and the actual procurement process.
The Finnish Armed Forces currently have two types of armored vehicles in service: the Swedish CV-9030 and the Soviet BMP-2MD. Thus, 102 CV-9030 aircraft, acquired in 2002-2007, are in combat service. They have recently undergone modernization, which extended their service life until 2035. In addition, 110 BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles were upgraded at the end of the last decade, which made it possible to extend their service life at least until the 2030s.
Over the next decade, the Finnish Armed Forces plan to purchase various weapons. In principle, it is possible to abandon Soviet-made infantry fighting vehicles and switch to a unified CV-9030 fleet over the next decade.
