Finland’s Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen has authorized the Defence Forces to purchase new armored personnel carriers from Patria.
The Finnish Army will receive 91 armored personnel carriers. In addition to the vehicles, the procurement includes spare parts and tools, as well as training in operation and maintenance.
The procurement includes an additional purchase reserve, which can be exercised to purchase up to 70 additional vehicles.
Deliveries of the vehicles will begin during 2023.
In 2022, the Finnish Defence Forces acquired three pre-series vehicles which were in test use before the actual serial order. During the test phase, the Finnish Army had the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the different features and operational use of Patria 6×6 vehicles, as well as define the final requirements for the serial order vehicles.
“Finland’s serial order is a remarkable milestone for the entire CAVS programme. With this order, Patria 6×6 armoured vehicles are already being manufactured in Hämeenlinna, Finland for three countries. This serial order is the largest vehicle agreement between Patria and the Finnish Defence Forces in many decades. In Finland, Patria 6×6 vehicles continue in the footsteps of XA-series vehicles, better known as Pasi, as we continue to develop the performance and mobility of the Finnish Army at least until the 2060s, or even longer,” says Jussi Järvinen, Executive Vice President of Patria’s Finland Division.
The multinational CAVS programme has proceeded as planned. Germany joined the programme recently and Sweden has ordered its first 20 vehicles. Deliveries to Latvia have been underway since 2021. The joint 6×6 vehicle programme has attracted interest and it is also open to other countries with the mutual consent of the participating countries.