Saturday, June 27, 2009

DTN News: Patria Wins Swedish Armored Modular Vehicles Contract

DTN News: Patria Wins Swedish Armored Modular Vehicles Contract
*Sources: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) HELSINKI, Finland - June 27, 2009: Finland's Patria Land & Armament (PLA) has secured a $338 million order for 113 Patria eight-wheel-drive AMVs (Armored Modular Vehicles) for delivery to Sweden as part of that country's Land Force's AWV 2014 Project. The decision must be approved by the Swedish government; that is expected in the autumn. The 113 AMVs are due to be delivered between 2011 and 2013. The AMV contract, which was placed by Forsvarets Materielverk (FMV), Sweden's state-controlled defense materials administration, suggests that the Swedish government has no plans to revive the Spitterskyddad Enhets Platform (SEP) modular armored tactical vehicle project, which was discontinued in September. "The SEP project was stopped last autumn because of funding issues, and it is not something we are working with now," said an FMV spokesman. "The Land Forces asked us to look at the market and source a modern armored wheeled vehicle, and this we have done after a competitive bidding process and full testing. This contract is the end result of this competition." BAE Systems Hagglunds' SEP, designed to offer advanced multipurpose protection, was originally planned as the Swedish Land Forces' next-generation modular armored tactical vehicle. The $338 million contract with Patria covers wheeled armored personnel carriers in five different versions, and includes the option for delivery of an additional 113 vehicle systems. The AMVs will be manufactured in Finland, using subcontractors in both Finland and Sweden. The Patria eight-wheel-drive AMV has operational combat experience with Polish and Finnish forces in Afghanistan and Chad. "The benefits for the Swedish economy in the form of offset programs and logistic support activities will also be significant," Patria CEO Heikki Allonen said. "We also value and highly emphasize the aspects of Nordic cooperation in this project, with benefits available to many of us in the defense industry in the Nordic countries." Patria began serial production of the AMV in 2004, and has obtained orders since that date for some 1,200 vehicles from Poland, Slovenia, Finland and Croatia. The Patria AMV is designed to provide high levels of protection, mobility and accessibility. The vehicle has a maximum combat weight of 27 tons with a payload of up to 11 tons. It has a three-man crew and can transport up to 12 personnel.

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