By Ahmet Gencturk
ATHENS (AA) - Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Lithuania will jointly purchase several hundred Swedish-made CV-90 heavy armored vehicles in a coordinated effort to strengthen regional defense and reduce procurement costs, Swedish media reported Tuesday.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, speaking at a joint press conference with Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, emphasized the strategic benefits of the collaboration.
“The joint procurement will speed up deliveries, lower costs, and benefit our defense industrial ties,” Kristersson said, according to public broadcaster SVT.
While the total cost of the package has not been disclosed, a letter of interest for the purchase is expected to be signed in the spring.
The CV-90, manufactured by defense giant BAE Systems in Sweden, is considered one of the best and most advanced heavy armored vehicles in its class. It comes in 17 variants and is already in service in 10 countries.