The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) has signed a framework agreement with German company Dynamit Nobel Defence GmbH for the vehicle-mounted minelaying system Skorpion 2. The agreement runs until 2032 and has a total value of approximately 4 billion Swedish kronor. A first call-off order of approximately 900 million kronor has already been placed.
"This procurement is important for strengthening the defence of Swedish and allied territory. Anti-tank mines continue to play a significant role in the ability to hinder and delay the advance of hostile forces on the ground," says Jonas Lotsne, Head of the Army Materiel business area at FMV.
According to a press release from FMV, the procurement covers vehicle-mounted minelaying systems, live and training ammunition, as well as training and demonstration equipment. The system is intended to give the Swedish Armed Forces (Försvarsmakten) an enhanced capability to rapidly deploy anti-tank mines in order to hinder or delay the advance of primarily mechanised units.
The Skorpion 2 is a further development of the earlier Skorpion system and can be used with several different vehicle platforms. The system has the capacity to lay up to 400 mines in ten minutes, and the operator can adapt the layout of the minefield to suit the terrain and the mission.
Denmark and Latvia have also chosen to procure the Skorpion 2. According to FMV, this contributes to increased coordination and interoperability between the countries' defence capabilities.