BAE SYSTEMS, RITEK AS TO PRODUCE TWO NEW CV90 VARIANTS FOR SWEDISH ARMED FORCES

BAE Systems has signed a contract with Norwegian company Ritek AS to produce two new CV90 variants for the Swedish Armed Forces. The work will be carried out in cooperation with BAE Systems Hägglunds, the designer and producer of the CV90 family of vehicles.

Ritek is one of BAE Systems Hägglunds’ key industrial partners in the Norwegian CV90 program and this new program 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.

The new variants are the Forward Maintenance vehicle and the Combat Engineer variant. The Forward Maintenance vehicle will provide critical frontline support, repair, and recovery for other vehicles, ensuring improved overall combat vehicle availability. The Combat Engineer variant will significantly increase the ability to ensure route clearance and deny enemy forces mission critical mobility. The two new variants will join the Swedish Army’s mechanized formations with deliveries scheduled between 2023 and 2027.

There are approximately 1,300 CV90s in service with Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. The vehicle has a combat-proven track record and is designed to accommodate future growth to meet evolving missions. Recently, a contract was signed with Slovakia for 152 vehicles, and the Czech Republic selected CV90 to replace its legacy infantry fighting vehicle 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 as the complex battlefield evolves.