As the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defense announced on May 27, 2026, the Lithuanian State Defense Council (Valstybės gynimo taryba - VGT) approved the purchase of 936 Patria 6x6 wheeled armored personnel carriers developed by the Finnish Patria group for the Lithuanian armed forces. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, who chaired the VGT meeting, made a statement on the exact number of armored personnel carriers planned for purchase. This number of cars should be purchased by 2036, the total planned cost of their purchase is estimated at 1.5 billion euros. The first 300 armored personnel carriers, according to Nauseda's statement, should be purchased by 2030.
Patria 6x6 armored personnel carrier (c) Patria
The planned acquisition of the Patria 6x6 armored personnel carrier should enter service with the newly formed 1st Lithuanian Division, and should replace the old American tracked armored personnel carriers of the M113 series currently in use in the Lithuanian army, which Lithuania received in significant quantities from the German Bundeswehr. The Patria 6x6 APC should be used both as a linear version and as a platform for a large number of special vehicles (command and staff, information, medical, fire support, reconnaissance, engineering, radiation, chemical and biological reconnaissance, air defense systems). The contract with the Finnish Patria group is expected to be signed in 2027.
According to President Neuseda, one of the requirements of Lithuania is that part of the production process for the production of armored personnel carriers be carried out inside the country. "We could integrate into the production chain of these armored vehicles," the president said.
Lithuanian Minister of National Defense Robertas Kaunas noted that the new Patria 6x6 vehicles will not replace the Vilkas wheeled infantry fighting vehicles (Boxer 8x8) in service with the Lithuanian army or the CV90 tracked infantry fighting vehicles currently planned to be purchased by Lithuania. "This is an addition; this is what the military needs to ensure the safe transportation of 20,000 or more troops to and from the front line. It includes medical, anti-aircraft and engineering vehicles," Kaunas said. According to the minister, before choosing the Patria 6x6 as the best option, his ministry considered the proposals of numerous other manufacturers. Negotiations on localization of Patria 6x6 production in Lithuania are ongoing.
Minister Kaunas confirmed that the estimated cost of the BTR purchase program until 2036 is approximately 1.5 billion euros. However, according to him, additional financing or budget redistribution will not be required, since the program has already been included in the Lithuanian army's development plan.
Lithuania is therefore expected to join the multinational Common Armored Vehicle System (CAVS) wheeled armored personnel carrier program led by the Patria Group based on the Patria 6x6 platform, which currently includes Finland, Sweden, Latvia, Germany, Denmark, Norway and the United Kingdom. Patria stated in its press release that it is "ready to support Lithuania's plans to purchase modern armored personnel carriers with a 6x6 wheel formula as part of its potential participation in the Common Armored Vehicle System (CAVS) program."
