Estonia joins group developing next-gen infantry fighting vehicles
Estonia signed a cooperation agreement in Helsinki with Finland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden on developing and possibly procuring next-gen CV90s.
The cooperation agreement allows the six countries to receive information from the manufacturer, BAE Systems Hägglunds AB, on the capabilities and technical solutions under development for the CV90 and to participate jointly in negotiations on delivery timelines.
Katri Raudsepp, deputy director general of the Estonian Center for Defense Investments (RKIK), said the technical agreement signed between the countries does not entail any purchase obligations.
"As of today, Estonia has not made any commitments, but the agreement is a prerequisite for obtaining more detailed information on the cost and delivery timelines of the combat vehicles," Raudsepp added.
Without joining the coalition, Estonia would have to acquire the vehicles in the general queue, which would result in significantly longer delivery times.
According to Raudsepp, Estonia remains in the preparatory phase of acquiring next-generation combat vehicles, comparing platforms from various manufacturers, their estimated costs and expected life cycle expenses.
"We have also asked manufacturers for price quotes for a one-month testing period in Estonia and explored options for involving Estonian defense industry companies in the process," Raudsepp added.
A final procurement decision will be made once the full price and delivery timeline for the CV90 MK 4 are known.
The Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) currently uses CV9035NL IFVs.
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Editor: Karin Koppel, Marcus Turovski
