On July 1st, the Cabinet of Ministers of Latvia confirmed that the country will proceed with the transfer of 42 of its 6×6 Patria CAVS armored personnel carriers to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, marking a new demonstration of military support since the beginning of the Russian invasion. The announcement comes just over four months after the Latvian Ministry of Defense declared its intention to donate these platforms as part of an assistance package in response to a request from Kyiv.
Latvian Defense Minister Andris Sprūds commented on the decision, stating: “We will soon deliver to Ukraine the first of a total of 42 Latvian-made Patria armored personnel carriers. I am confident that our Patria vehicles will help the Ukrainian Armed Forces in their fight against the aggressor. We will continue to support Ukraine in the future: both this year and next, we will provide military aid equivalent to 0.25% of our gross domestic product.”
It is worth recalling that Latvia signed its first framework agreement for the acquisition of 6×6 Patria CAVS armored vehicles on August 30, 2021, securing a total of 200 troop transport units for its own Armed Forces. This agreement was part of a broader intergovernmental cooperation program between Germany, Finland, Sweden, and Latvia.
Continuing its involvement in the CAVS program, Latvia participated alongside its partners in the development of additional variants, which led to the creation of a new command and control configuration complementing the original troop transport design. With the new model finalized in 2024, the Baltic nation decided to procure an additional 56 armored vehicles configured to this standard—providing a boost to the local defense industry involved in their production.
Finally, it is useful to review some of the features of the platforms that will be sent to Ukraine. These are highly mobile armored vehicles capable of operating in difficult terrain, reaching speeds of up to 100 km/h thanks to their turbocharged Scania DC 09/4-T diesel engine. The vehicles are equipped with STANAG 4569-standard armor, providing protection against landmines, machine gun fire, and shrapnel. Each unit can also be fitted with 12.7 mm machine guns and 40 mm grenade launchers.
*Cover image: @AizsardzibasMin on X
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