Sweden has ordered a secret number of BAE Hägglunds CV90 combat armoured vehicles, partly to replace the 51 that were – together with Denmark – donated to Ukraine and partly to send brand new ones to the Ukrainian armed forces. The Swedish Armed Forces Material Agency (FMV) announced the deal on 21 May.
FMV states this opens also the door for others to join the order, which will likely mean Denmark in a first phase. Although the FMV underlines it will not disclose the total value of the order, nor the number of new vehicles in entails.
Ukraine will likely get 40 to 44 new CV90s
However, the press release does state that Sweden set aside about EUR 111.8 million and Denmark about EUR 240.7 million for new CV90s for Ukraine. Judging a Czech order for 246 CV90s placed last year, each CV90 costed about 8.2 million in 2023 – including spare parts, training equipment and some other extras. This means Ukraine will likely get 40 to 44 new CV90s.
Expansion of production capacity
“The contract signed today includes expansion of the production capacity at the Hägglunds factory in Örnsköldsvik”. This Swedish small-town is situated in the southern part of the north of the country and has been making weaponry since the Second World War, with the Bandvagn tracked vehicle as one of its unique products bought by many of the world’s military forces.
Biggest users
So far, BAE Hägglunds has produced 1,400 CV90s. The new CV9035 MkIIIC version ordered by the FMV has a 35-millimetre Bushmaster automatic gun. The Swedish armed forces already received more than 500 CV90s during the past decades. After Sweden, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway and Finland are the biggest users with each more than a hundred vehicles. Denmark is modernizing its 44 CV90s. | © 2024 Marcel Burger. Press photo of the CV90: BAE Hägglunds