Czech Republic has chosen the CV90 MkIV Infantry Fighting Vehicle built by BAE Systems Hägglunds to replace the Soviet-era BMP-2, according to the Czech Ministry of Defense.
According to a press release from the Ministry of Defense, the government decided to cancel the tender for the procurement of modern fighting vehicles after two of the three bidders declined to accept new terms and conditions. The legal analysis ordered by the Ministry of Defence showed the cancelation of the tender was the only option.
The government decided to proceed by negotiating the procurement of CV90 vehicles with the Swedish Government. “CV90 is an established and combat-proven platform. The vehicles are in the inventory of a number of European countries’ armed forces. They were also selected by the Slovak Republic, and we will coordinate our negotiations with Slovakia,” Minister Černochová said and noted that cooperation with Slovakia offered the potential of further savings for the Czech Republic.
Besides being a combat-proven platform, the CV90 embraces a high growth potential. The procurement of these vehicles will make it possible for the Czech Republic to deliver on its commitment to NATO to build a heavy mechanized brigade that will use advanced combat-proven equipment supplied by Western Allies. Participation of Czech defense industries in the manufacturing of combat vehicles will be a high priority, Minister Černochová says.
As noted by the company, the CV90 MkIV is fifth generation combat-proven Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) that combines improved battlefield speeds and handling with an upgraded Electronic Architecture to support future growth capabilities.
To date, there are 15 variants of the CV90 in service in seven countries: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and The Netherlands.