The Swedish Defence Procurement Agency (FMV) has ordered 321 six-wheeled armoured vehicles from Patria, the Finnish defence manufacturer announced on 20 March 2024.
The contract valued at around EUR 470 million, is one of the largest ever Swedish orders for Patria.
The 321 vehicles, which in Sweden are called Pansarterrängbil 300, will be stationed at the Livgardet Regiment in Kungsängen as well as several other units around the country.
Patria has previously delivered 20 6×6 vehicles, which were ordered in April 2023.
The Patria 6×6 type set for delivery is the armoured personnel carrier (APC) model, which according to Patria “offers the latest vehicle technology such as state-of-the-art protection for up to 12 crew members”. The vehicle is modular and can be configured for a wide range of different roles. Apart from operating as troop transports, the Swedish Patria 6×6s will be used for command-and-control and ambulance duties and will “form an important cornerstone for Sweden’s increasing defence capability”, Patria stated.
“Sweden is an increasingly important market for us, and we are glad to be able to support the Swedish armed forces at a time of their significant expansion. We are confident that we can fill the deliveries promptly as we have done previously,” Mats Warstedt, Patria’s senior vice president for the Nordic market, was quoted as saying in a company press release. “The Pansarterrängbil 300 vehicle is an excellent example of Finnish-Swedish co-operation as the vehicle is designed for Nordic conditions from the start and significant value is provided by Swedish suppliers, such as the engine and the steel of its armour,” Warstedt added.
The FMV previously ordered 20 Patria 6×6 vehicles in a contract announced on 17 April 2023. The vehicle was chosen as the platform for the Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS) collaborative programme between Finland, Latvia, Sweden and Germany.
Sweden joined the 6×6 research and development programme in 2022 and is expected to have a requirement for several hundred vehicles throughout the 2020s.
The Patria 6×6 has a maximum combat weight of 24 tonnes, a maximum payload of 8,500 kg and in its APC configuration can carry up to 10 soldiers in the rear plus a crew of two in the front cabin. Powered by a Scania DC 09 diesel engine developing 294 kW, the vehicle has a maximum speed of more than 100 km/h on land, up to 8 km/h in water and a range greater than 700 km.
While the vehicle has STANAG Level 2 ballistic and mine protection as standard, this can be increased to STANAG Level 4 if required.
