Following approval by the Government of the Slovak Republic, Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď has been instructed to conclude a contract with the Finnish Government for the delivery of 76 AMV XP 8×8 wheeled armoured vehicles. According to a statement from the Slovak Ministry of Defence, the vehicles will be supplied by Patria for the BOV 8×8 (Bojovými Obrnenými Vozidlami) programme. The contract is worth €447M and includes logistics, ammunition and infrastructure services in addition to the vehicles. Delivery of the vehicles is scheduled to begin in 2023.
Five companies had submitted bids by the end of 2021 and provided vehicles for trials in February this year. Bids were submitted by the governments of:
- Finland (AMV XP, Patria)
- Spain (VCR 8×8 Dragón, GDELS)
- the Czech Republic (Pandur II, Tatra)
- the USA (Stryker LAV III, GDLS)
- Romania (Piranha V, GDELS)
In addition to the technical evaluation and life-cycle costs, the participation of the local economy accounted for 25 per cent, the ministry writes.
Details of the Vehicle for Slovakia
The AMV XP is the latest version of Patria’s protected 8×8 wheeled vehicle, which has been in series production since 2004. From a total weight of up to 32 tonnes, a maximum of 15 tonnes is available for payload. The basic protection can be increased modularly up to level 5 according to STANAG 4569. The vehicle uses a 480 kW diesel engine from Scania in combination with an automatic transmission. The individually suspended wheels have run-flat properties and can be adapted to the terrain via central tyre pressure control. The hydraulically assisted steering acts on the 1st, 2nd and 4th axles.
The remote-controlled TURRA-30 turret from the Slovakian company EVPÚ will provide the armament element. The main weapon is a 30mm machine gun, which is supplemented by a 7.62 machine gun and guided anti-tank missiles. This makes the turret suitable for the defence of low-flying targets at ranges up to 2,500 metres.
The new equipment will replace infantry fighting vehicles that are at the end of their technical life, Nad said. The new armoured combat vehicles are also the basis for fulfilling allied commitments to create a heavy mechanised brigade, he said.