Sweden Orders New CV90s and Upgrades Leopard 2s
Sweden has announced a raft of new armored vehicle modernizations and procurements with the upgrade of its Leopard 2 tanks and orders for new CV90s. Sweden has begun the procurement process for a batch of new CV90 MkIIIC through a contract worth SEK 36 million ($4 million). The infantry fighting vehicles will replace the 50 CV90s that Sweden has supplied to Ukraine.
“Now it is important to gain time and this assignment paves the way for starting production as soon as we sign a final procurement agreement,” said Brigadier General Jonas Lotsne, head of army materiel at the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV), “It is a prerequisite for replacing materiel donated to Ukraine and regaining the ability of the army’s war organization as quickly as possible.”
The contract is the first step to “defining the configuration and program for the combat vehicles” according to the FMV. The Swedish government expects to sign a production contract with BAE Systems Hägglunds in early 2024.
“We are proud of our longstanding relationship with Sweden and this contract is an important step in continuing to provide the critical combat-proven CV90s the Swedish Army needs as it maintains the sovereignty and protection of our nation” said Tommy Gustafsson-Rask, Managing Director of BAE Systems Hägglunds.
In January 2023, BAE Systems received a contract modification from the FMV for an additional 20 CV90 Mjölner mortar carriers. These mortar carriers comprise BAE’s Mjölner turret system with two smoothbore 120 mm gun barrels mounted on a CV90 chassis.
In addition to the procurement of replacement CV90s, the FMV have also signed a contract with Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) for the upgrade of Sweden’s S122 Leopard 2A5s. In a statement on the contract Lotsne said: “Tanks will be the backbone of the army’s brigades for a long time to come, that is a conclusion we can draw from the ongoing war in Ukraine. The order we are now placing with KMW means a considerable modernization of our tank fleet and extends the life of the tanks at least into the 2030s.”
The contract is worth SEK 3.5 billion ($3.2 billion) and will see 44 tanks upgraded with new electronics, sights, sensors and an L55 gun. Once upgraded the tanks will be designated the S123A. Deliveries of the upgraded Swedish Leopards are expected to begin in 2026.