Target of 1,000 vehicles: Ukraine, Sweden agree on joint production of CV-90 IFVs
Ukraine and Sweden will jointly produce the CV-90 IFVs with better all-terrain performance and reinforced multilayer armor, with a goal of arming Ukrainian forces with 1,000 vehicles, Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Maliar said on Sunday.
“The CV-90 infantry fighting vehicle is believed to be the best one in the world. Designed and manufactured in Sweden, it has everything that a modern combat vehicle should have, and its main advantage is taking care of the crew (three people) and the landing party (up to eight people) because such protection as that of the CV-90’s is not available in any other IFV,” Maliar said on Telegram.
She added: “The CV-90s arrived for the armed forces in the summer of 2023 and are already performing combat tasks at the front. They were first spotted in the Lyman direction, where the enemy has been trying to break through our defenses for several months now.”
She used an example of how the Swedish IFV protects its crew: “In one of the battles, the Swedish IFV was covering infantry units from tank fire and at that moment it was hit by a Russian kamikaze drone ‘Lancet’. However, neither the crew nor the landing party inside were injured – they moved to another vehicle and continued to perform combat tasks. If there was a Soviet BMP-1 or BMP-2 instead of the CV-90, no one would have survived, because there is actually no armor on these machines.”
Maliar said: “Soon, the Armed Forces of Ukraine will receive many more such vehicles, because Ukraine and Sweden have agreed on the joint production of the CV-90. And the nearest goal is 1,000 Swedish IFVs for the Ukrainian army.”
The Swedish CV-90 Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV), manufactured by BAE Systems, is a highly advanced and versatile armored vehicle. It boasts exceptional mobility, protection, and firepower, making it a formidable asset on the modern battlefield.
BAE Systems said the CV-90 is agile and powerful in combat, leading the way in the 20-35 tonne class. “It integrates a wide range of weapon systems, providing all-target capability to land forces around the world.”