Finnish state-owned defense manufacturer Patria delivered its first Patria 6×6 armoured wheeled vehicles to Latvian National Armed Forces on last week.
According to a company news release, this first vehicle handover of the whole joint program is a remarkable milestone for all participants.
“With high-quality cooperation between Latvian companies, our own professionals, and the future users of the vehicles, we have achieved this important milestone together. Staying on schedule and taking a project this size forward so effectively is not always a matter of course, and we do not take this milestone for granted. Hard work has been done on this and will continue to be done. We all get to be proud of ourselves and continue this exceptional joint program going forward. In addition, I believe that such concrete progress will build even more confidence towards this joint program particularly outside the program and hence increase interest in other countries as well.”, says Jussi Järvinen, President of Patria’s Land business unit.
A week before the handover of the vehicles, a user training of the Patria 6×6 vehicle was completed in Hämeenlinna at Patria’s facilities, when soldiers of the Latvian National Armed Forces participated in a two-week user, instructor, and maintenance training course. The focus of the training was to learn how the vehicle works and how to use it – step by step.
After the training period, the Latvian soldiers now have a good understanding about the usage and maintenance requirements of the vehicle. They are also ready to receive the first vehicles in Latvia on behalf of Patria, and ready to start operating them safely.
In early 2020, Finland and Latvia agreed on a joint development program to improve the mobility of the ground forces. The aim of the development project has been to develop a new armoured vehicle system based on 6×6 armoured vehicles manufactured by Patria. In late August 2021, Finland, Latvia, and Patria signed a Frame Agreement for production phase management.
Latvia and Patria signed a supply contract comprising over 200 pieces 6×6 armoured personnel carriers developed under the joint development program, also including their support and training systems. Finland and Patria signed a letter of intent on the forthcoming serial order of Finland. The joint program is open to other countries to join with the mutual consent of the participating countries.
