The Slovak Ministry of Defence has ordered 152 CV90 Mk IV armoured fighting vehicles in various configurations in a contract valued at EUR 1.3 Bn (USD 1.37 Bn). The contract is being carried out as a government-to-government purchase, with the Swedish state purchasing the vehicles from BAE Systems, and selling them to Slovakia. According to a statement from BAE Systems, Slovakian industry, with ZTS ŠPECIÁL as the primary industrial partner will be involved in the production of the IFVs.
Of the 152 vehicles, 122 will be delivered in the CV9035 IFV configuration, while 12 will be built in a new configuration intended for operation by Slovakia’s anti-materiel rifle and grenade launcher squads. The remaining 18 vehicles will be delivered in Command and Control (C2), Reconnaissance and Engineer, and Recovery variants. The contract also includes training and education systems as well as tactical simulators.
The CV90 Mk IV is the most recent iteration of the CV90 platform, featuring the ‘D-series’ turret, an active damping suspension system, an improved electronic architecture with growth potential. The turret is fitted with modern combined day and infrared (IR) sights, automation elements, and augmented reality software. Slovakia has selected CV9035 configuration for their IFV variant, which is armed with the Northrop Grumman Bushmaster III 35 mm automatic cannon, and a pod of Rafael SPIKE LR2 anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs). In terms of protection, Slovakia’s CV9035s will also feature Elbit’s Iron Fist hard-kill active protection system (APS). With the acquisition, Slovakia joins a CV90 user group which includes Denmark, Estonia, Finland, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland.
MC
