By 2029, the Latvian Armed Forces will receive more than 200 new armored vehicles. Production and maintenance will take place in Latvia as soon as next year. It is planned to build a new plant in Cēsis during the year, which will guarantee additional jobs and support to the Latvian economy.
The transportation of soldiers by the Latvian National Armed Forces (NBS) has so far lacked safe armored vehicles. In cooperation with Finland, new armored transport is intended to fully equip both the Land Force Infantry Brigades and the National Guard over the coming years.
Defense Minister Artis Pabriks explained: “These vehicles are intended for the safe movement of soldiers to possible fighting sites, operations sites, we can also use them in international operations.”
At present, the vehicles are only partly complete, their outer body is fully developed. The full kitting-out of internal equipment and other upgrades will take place in Cēsis.
The total contract between Latvia and Finland amounts to 200 million euros for 200 new armored vehicles. More than 60 million of these funds will be invested in local companies. Six Latvian companies have already been involved in the production of armored vehicles, and talks on cooperation will continue with several others.
The Defense Minister told ReTV that other types of military-related production are currently developing in Latvia. “We're already producing drones and their systems, expanding that production. I think Patria is not where it ends with vehicle production, we think about tracks, we think about munitions that we are already actually producing in Latvia,” he said.
Below you can see an LTV news report from 2021 in which the capabilities of the Patria vehicles are demonstrated.
