On September 16, the Latvian Ministry of Defence confirmed that the Armed Forces of Ukraine will receive a new batch of 6×6 Patria CAVS wheeled armored vehicles, along with other military equipment, as part of international support for Ukraine’s war effort against the Russian invasion. However, the exact configuration provided and the precise number of units sent to the country have not yet been confirmed.
This new delivery corresponds to the second batch of armored vehicles supplied by Latvia, following the first shipment in July of this year, which included units configured as troop transports. The deliveries are part of a commitment by the Latvian Ministry of Defence, which in February of this year ordered the production of 6×6 Patria CAVS vehicles for Ukraine, responding to the country’s requests for support in the ongoing war. In total, Latvia will deliver 42 of these armored vehicles from the CAVS Program, along with other military equipment.
Defence Minister Andris Sprūds stressed that Latvia’s support will continue as long as necessary, and underlined that the deployment of these armored vehicles in Ukraine also represents an opportunity to strengthen the national defense industry: “Latvia’s support for Ukraine will continue as long as necessary. I am convinced that our Patria armored vehicles will help the Ukrainian Armed Forces in their fight against the aggressor. At the same time, this is an opportunity to develop Latvia’s defense industry, testing in real combat conditions the resilience and capabilities of the vehicles produced in our country.”
It is worth recalling that, under the intergovernmental program between Finland, Latvia, Sweden, and Germany, Latvia signed an agreement on August 30, 2021, for the acquisition of more than 200 Patria 6×6 armored vehicles. At the same time, together with the Ministry of Defence and the Latvian Armed Forces, the country participated in the research and development program of the Combat Armored Vehicle System (CAVS), which included the design of a common command-and-control platform. That work was completed in the summer of 2024, enabling Latvia to supplement its order with 56 additional command post vehicles.
Finally, reviewing the main characteristics of the 6×6 Patria CAVS vehicles recently delivered to Ukraine, these platforms are highly mobile, capable of operating in extremely challenging terrain, and can reach speeds of up to 100 km/h thanks to their turbocharged Scania DC 09/4-T diesel engine. In terms of armament, each unit can be fitted with 40 mm grenade launchers and remote weapon stations equipped with 12.7 mm machine guns. Additionally, the vehicles comply with NATO’s STANAG 4569 standards, providing the crew with protection against landmines, shrapnel, and machine-gun fire.
