The Lithuanian Defence Council has decided to acquire 100 units of the CV90 MkIV combat vehicle from BAE Systems Hägglunds. This decision means that Lithuania joins the multinational procurement that also includes Sweden, Finland, Norway, Estonia, and the Netherlands.
The purchase is part of the Nordic-Baltic cooperation formally established in November when the countries signed a technical agreement in Helsinki (capital of Finland). The document sets out common technical parameters, cooperation principles, and a roadmap for the main contract, which is planned to be signed in early 2026. Deliveries to Lithuania are set to begin in 2028.
According to Lithuania's Ministry of Defence, the goal is for parts of the manufacturing and future maintenance of the vehicles to take place in Lithuania. This is to ensure supply, build local capacity, and create industrial synergies within the framework of the strategic cooperation.
In December last year, Nordic Defence Sector reported that Lithuania's then newly appointed Defence Minister Dovilė Šakalienė met with representatives from Hägglunds. The focus was on deepening industrial cooperation and including Lithuanian companies in the supply chain for the CV90. She also emphasised the need for rapid implementation to achieve full operational capability by 2030.
In the spring of 2025, the Prime Ministers of Sweden and Lithuania confirmed plans for a coordinated acquisition of several hundred CV90s. During a meeting in Stockholm (capital of Sweden) in April, Ulf Kristersson stressed that Sweden, Lithuania, Finland, and Norway were working towards a joint declaration of intent. Lithuania's Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas highlighted that a joint procurement would strengthen both bilateral and regional defence cooperation.
In November 2025, Lithuania, together with Sweden, Finland, Norway, Estonia, and the Netherlands, signed a technical arrangement that forms the basis of the cooperation. The agreement aims to coordinate the development, use, and maintenance of the CV90 system and, according to the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV), is expected to contribute to shorter delivery times and lower costs for the participating countries.