On 16 November 2022, BAE Systems Hägglunds announced that it would be launching two new variants to the CV90 family of combat vehicles – a Forward Maintenance vehicle, and Combat Engineer vehicle. The vehicles are being developed as part of an add-on to the Swedish Army’s CV90 RENO mid-life upgrade programme, with the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) signing a contract valued at USD 90 M for the two variants. Deliveries are scheduled to commence in 2023 and are due to be completed by 2027, however the numbers of each variant due for delivery were not disclosed.
BAE Systems’ Swedish joint venture HB Utveckling AB will be responsible for delivery of the two variants, while production of the vehicles is due to take place at BAE Systems Hägglunds’ facility in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden and by Ritek, located in Levanger, Norway. The Forward Maintenance variant is designed to provide critical support, repair and recovery services to other vehicles on the front line, improving a formation’s overall combat vehicle availability. The Combat Engineer variant is intended to undertake tasks such as route clearance, to improve the formation’s ability to secure its own movement, and to reduce the mission-critical mobility of enemy forces.
With the two new variants, the CV90 family has expanded to 17 variants. Some 1,300 CV90s are already in service with Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the Netherlands, while Slovakia and the Czech Republic have both selected the CV90 family to replace their legacy infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) fleets.
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