Sweden Orders 20 Additional CV90 Mortar Carriers

By Matthew Moss in AFV, Artillery, Ground Vehicles, News January 27, 2023

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BAE Systems has received a contract modification from the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) to provide an additional 20 CV90 Mjölner mortar carriers. The approximately $30 million contract has been awarded to BAE Systems’ Swedish joint venture with HB Utveckling AB, which combines BAE Systems’ Hägglunds and Bofors manufacturing capabilities. Tommy Gustafsson-Rask, managing director of BAE Systems Hägglunds, said:

“This new contract modification for additional mortar vehicles ensures that soldiers will benefit from this critical capability in the near future. We look forward to continuing to support the Swedish Army’s efforts to modernize and increase its combat power.”

Sweden’s CV90 mortar carriers comprise BAE’s Mjölner turret system with two smoothbore 120 mm gun barrels mounted on a CV90 chassis. The mortar system is named after the Norse god Thor’s mythical hammer. Mjölner has a 3 man crew and can elevate from 45 to 85 degrees to engage targets are ranges between 9 and 13km using conventional mortar rounds and can fire up to 16 rounds per minute, with a sustained fire rate of six rounds per minute. It can be in action in less than two minutes and move off in just over one minute. Mjölner can also carry a significant number of rounds on board, up to 56 in Bustle, up to 48 in chassis.

Production of the 20 new vehicles will be under taken at BAE Systems Hägglunds in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. The original contract for 40 CV90 Mjölner systems was awarded in 2016, and deliveries of the systems started in 2019, with completion of the contract in 2020. In February 2022, FMV awarded the first follow-on contract for 20 additional systems, as well as the upgrade of the 40 systems already in service. The aim was to bring all of the vehicles up to the same standard by integrating the Swedish Army’s new command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence (C4I) LSS Mark system for greater interoperability.

Once the contract modification deliveries are completed in 2025, the Swedish Army will operate 80 CV90 mortar vehicles in its fleet. The vehicles, known as Granatkastarpansarbandvagn 90 [Grenade launcher armored car 90], will provide indirect fire support capabilities to Sweden’s mechanized brigades.

BAE note that worldwide there are approximately 1,300 CV90s, in multiple variants, now in service with Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. Most recently, both Slovakia and the Czech Republic have selected CV90 to replace their legacy, Soviet era, infantry fighting vehicle fleets.

Header image: Mjölner CV90 (BAE Systems)

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Tags: BAE Systems, CV90, CV90 Mjölner, Mjölner mortar system, Mortars, Sweden, Swedish Army