BAE Systems Hägglunds has signed a contract with Norwegian company Ritek AS to produce two new variants of its CV90 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) for the Swedish armed forces, the company announced on 20 April 2023.
The new variants will be a forward maintenance vehicle and a combat engineer variant. The forward maintenance vehicle will provide critical frontline support, repair, and recovery for other vehicles, ensuring improved overall combat vehicle availability, while the combat engineer variant will significantly increase the Swedish Army’s ability to ensure route clearance and deny enemy forces mission- critical mobility. The two new variants will join the Swedish Army’s mechanised formations, with deliveries scheduled to take place between 2023 and 2027.
A spokesperson confirmed to ESD on 20 April that the value of the contract is around USD 90 M (EUR 81.9 M), but declined to detail how many of each CV90 variant would be procured.
Ritek is one of BAE Systems Hägglunds’ key industrial partners in the Norwegian CV90 programme and this new contract grows the company’s role as an integral part of BAE Systems Hägglunds’ international supply chain. The two companies worked together on the Norwegian IFV modernisation project (MEP/OPV) to extensively upgrade 144 Norwegian CV90s. The team has just delivered 20 additional CV90 combat support vehicles to the Norwegian armed forces.
“Our industrial co-operation partnership with BAE Systems Hägglunds has increased our capabilities as well as broadened our market,” Marius Reppe, CEO of Ritek, was quoted as saying in a BAE Systems press release. “Thanks to this co-operation we have also been able to invest more in our business, including a new production hall, as well as investing in our employees. It has really been a game changer for us. This new contract to supply Norwegian-produced CV90s to the Swedish armed forces is proof of the potential opportunities of this partnership.”
“Ritek has demonstrated that it has the industrial capability and skills required for the CV90 program,” said Peter Sedin, BAE Systems Hägglunds’ director of operations. “As our production partner for a similar Norwegian Army programme, it made sense to turn to Ritek when we were looking for the optimal industrial set-up for this important contract.”
“We are proud to be producing these two new CV90 variants for the Swedish Army,” said Tommy Gustafsson-Rask, managing director of BAE Systems Hägglunds. “The collaborative approach involved in the Swedish CV90 RENO programme has been recognised as a key success factor in achieving a timely, balanced, and cost-effective solution that delivers increased combat efficiency to meet the customer’s capability requirements.”
BAE Systems Hägglunds says it uses a proven industrial co-operation approach that strengthens the local defence-industrial base and ensures the security of supply and long-term support. The company says it also creates significant employment opportunities and delivers a range of economic benefits along with the transfer of technology.
There are approximately 1,300 CV90s in service with Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. Additionally, Slovakia ordered 152 vehicles in December 2022, while the Czech Republic has also selected the CV90 to replace its legacy IFV fleet.
The CV90 will now be available in 17 variants and is designed to provide optimum mobility with the highest level of protection in any terrain or tactical environment. The newest version, the CV90 MkIV, combines improved battlefield speeds and handling with an upgraded electronic architecture to support future growth capabilities.
Peter Felstead
