Patria to assemble ASCOD IFVs ordered by Latvia using in-country production facility

Patria and General Dynamics European Land Systems – Santa Barbara Sistemas (GDELS-SBS) jointly announced on 30 May 2025 the start of a strategic collaboration under which Defence Partnership Latvia (DPL), a Patria majority-owned joint venture with a local Latvian partner Unitruck, will handle the assembly and maintenance of GDELS-SBS ASCOD infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs).

The announcement marked the fifth anniversary of Patria’s operations in Latvia and the first anniversary of operations by DPL, which has an armoured vehicle production facility in Valmiera, northern Latvia.

The Latvian Ministry of Defence signed a EUR 373 million contract with GDELS-SBS for the delivery of 42 ASCOD IFVs for the Latvian National Armed Forces on 30 January 2025. The procurement process for these vehicles began in early 2023, involving a comprehensive pre-selection phase to identify potential suppliers. In the autumn of 2023 functional testing of various IFV platforms was conducted to assess their operational capabilities. Following these tests, the Latvian National Armed Forces carried out a detailed evaluation, considering operational needs, cost, available equipment, local industry involvement, delivery schedules and other key factors before selecting the ASCOD platform.

The first ASCOD IFVs to be produced by DPL’s Valmiera facility are planned to be completed in June 2026, with the first ASCODs in Latvian are expected to be operational by the autumn of 2026.

“The assembly and servicing of ASCOD infantry fighting vehicles marks a significant step in the development of our military manufacturing and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capabilities in Latvia,” Uģis Romanovs, chairman of the board at Patria Latvia and DPL, was quoted as saying in a joint press release. “Our experience with the production of 6×6 armoured vehicles, combined with the transfer of technology and expertise from Patria, demonstrates our ability to handle complex and precise military vehicle manufacturing, assembly, and maintenance tasks.”

Alejandro Page Hernandez, vice president of GDELS-SBS, added, “We are excited to begin this collaboration with Patria: a company that has proven its technological capabilities in managing complex defence industry solutions. The assembly and production of ASCOD components in Latvia will strengthen the security of military supply chains, improve delivery responsiveness, and contribute significantly to the growth of the local defence industry, while also supporting the broader Latvian economy.”

The ASCOD is described by GDELS as “a versatile tracked land platform for all current and future theatres of operations”, adding that its “modular architecture, built on a common base platform, ensures maximum adaptability and scalability”.

The ASCOD’s common base platform is designed to be scalable for gross vehicle weights of 30 to 45 tonnes.

The IFVs produced for Latvia are expected to be the latest iteration of GDELS’ ASCOD family of tracked vehicles while including features specific to Latvian requirements. While GDELS has not confirmed certain details regarding specific subsystems on Latvia’s chosen ASCOD configuration, a representative told ESD in January 2025 that the version pictured on Latvian trials would be “pretty close to that configuration”, while noting that “there will be some tendered options to be confirmed by the customer”. This would suggest that Latvia’s ASCODs will be fitted with Soucy composite rubber tracks and an Elbit Systems UT30 Mk2 unmanned turret armed with a Mk44 Bushmaster II 30 mm automatic cannon.