Sweden is undertaking a comprehensive investment in the armed forces' mechanised units by ordering 44 new Leopard 2 A8 main battle tanks and upgrading 110 existing Stridsvagn 122 tanks as well as the Combat Vehicle 90 (CV90) fleet. The investment forms part of efforts to strengthen the four brigades being established, as well as Combat Group Gotland (Stridsgrupp Gotland), according to the Ministry of Defence and the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV).
We will receive 154 modern tanks and refurbished combat vehicles through these orders, and that strengthens our defence capability. This is about equipping the mechanised brigades and Combat Group Gotland with new and refurbished materiel for the future, says Defence Minister Pål Jonson (Moderate Party) in a press release from the Ministry of Defence.
The new Leopard 2 A8 tanks, which will be designated Stridsvagn 123B within the Swedish Armed Forces, will be manufactured by KNDS. At the same time, 66 existing Stridsvagn 122 tanks (see image) are to be upgraded in addition to the 44 that are already undergoing modification. These upgraded vehicles will be designated Stridsvagn 123A.
Lieutenant Alva Cederholm from Gotland Regiment P 18 (based on Gotland, the strategically important Swedish island in the Baltic Sea) welcomes the decision:
The new vehicles and the upgraded older vehicles will represent a major boost, she says in an article on the Swedish Armed Forces' website. The upgrades include new guns, improved protection, and enhanced digitalisation. Deliveries of the upgraded vehicles are planned to take place between 2027 and 2030, while the newly manufactured vehicles are to be delivered between 2028 and 2031. The cost of the tank contracts is estimated at approximately 17.2 billion Swedish kronor. Once all deliveries are complete, the Swedish Armed Forces will have a total of 154 tanks at their disposal, of which 110 will be Stridsvagn 123A and 44 will be Stridsvagn 123B.
Stridsvagn 123A and 123B are among the most modern tanks in the world. They give Sweden increased capability and better opportunities to harmonise with other NATO member states, says Göran Mårtensson, Director General of FMV, in a press release from the agency. In addition to the tanks, the government has authorised the Swedish Armed Forces to refurbish existing Combat Vehicle 90 (CV90) units. The refurbishment is expected to be completed by 2030 and is estimated to cost approximately 5 billion Swedish kronor.