New CV90s for Denmark, Sweden and Ukraine: Tommy Gustafsson-Rask, BAE Systems Hägglunds President, details the programme
On December 6th, 2024, BAE Systems announced that Sweden and Denmark signed a contract worth approximately 2.5 billion US$ for the acquisition of new CV9035MkIIIC. Combined with the May contract with Sweden, this takes the number of vehicles to 50 and 115 respectively for Sweden and Denmark. EDR On-Line talked to Tommy Gustafsson-Rask, the President of BAE Systems Hägglunds, to get some more details on that new and substantial programme
The total disclosed number of CV90s is not in fact the number of infantry fighting vehicles that will roll-out from the company facilities. “The agreement also includes further vehicles for Ukraine financed by the two governments,” says the press release. “These are not part of the total announced, the number of vehicles to be delivered to Ukraine being classified, but of course we know that number,” BAE Systems Hägglunds President told us.
This means that the company is fully able to plan the production. The assembly lines in Örnsköldsvik are pretty busy. “We are almost in full-fledged production of the BvS10 for the three nations, Sweden, UK and Germany. We are in full production of the Beowulf for the United States. And finally, we have some new deliveries of mortar vehicles. We are just now starting to ramp up the production of the Slovak and Czech programmes, the first CV90 chassis are ready, and we will start their assembly soon,” Tommy Gustafsson-Rask details.
BAE Systems started investing on its Swedish facility in 2023, the 300 million investments being planned to run until 2025, and by late that year the capacity will be multiplied by five. However, the company policy is to redistribute the work on partner nations industries. “We have ongoing upgrade programmes in Switzerland, in the Netherlands, and in Finland, and we are setting up partners in Czech and Slovak republics. As for this latest contract we will work with partners in Denmark and Norway,” the production for the Danish, Swedish and Ukrainian CV9035MkIIIC being therefore distributed among the three Scandinavian countries.
Asked about the programme timeframe, “we will start first deliveries in 2026 and we plan to end the programme by 2029,” this including the Ukrainian vehicles, BAE Systems Hägglunds President told EDR On-Line, underlining that the only differences between Danish and Swedish vehicles come from government furnished equipment, such as command and control systems and radios.
As for the configuration, this has been defined as CV9035 MkIIIC, and it is based on the MarkIII chassis fitted with the D-Turret. “The turret will include the Iron Fist hard-kill active protection system, the new digital architecture, as well as the Spike LR antitank missile,” Tommy Gustafsson-Rask confirmed. Asked about the option for the Akeron MP missile, for which Saab signed an MoU with MBDA in early January, EDR On-Line understood that thetiming of that programme is not compatible with the urgency of delivery, therefore Sweden and Denmark will maintain the Rafael missile already integrated into the D-Turret.
While the number increase in percent for the Swedish Army is relatively low, this is not true for the Danish Army, which will nearly quadruple the number of CV90s available. A standardisation programme should therefore be carried out.
Another issue might be training, considering the high increase in crews to be formed and trained. The current contract does include integrated logistic support, manuals, and basic training tools, however BAE Systems Hägglunds is well aware that the Danish Army is reviewing its training doctrine, and this, together with the 159 CV90s that will be available by the end of the decade, might well bring to a further contract for simulators and other training assets.
Photos courtesy BAE Systems © D. Ahlgren
