Lithuania's State Defence Council has approved the acquisition of the Patria 6x6 as part of the country's efforts to build a national division by 2030. The decision covers 936 armoured vehicles, according to Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
According to the Lithuanian Ministry of Defence, the vehicles will replace the older tracked armoured personnel carriers M113 and will be used for, among other things, manoeuvre units, command, medical services, fire control, engineer units, communications, intelligence operations, and CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) tasks.
– This is a multifunctional platform into which air defence systems and other capabilities can be integrated. It will also be used for military medical services and logistics. The acquisition is necessary to ensure the division's functionality, says Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas in a statement from the ministry.
According to Lithuania, NATO interoperability, delivery time, cost, and opportunities for industrial cooperation weighed heavily in the selection of the platform. A contract with the chosen supplier is expected to be signed in 2027, while financing of the vehicles is planned through to 2036.
In a press release from Patria, the company states that it is ready to carry out technology transfer to Lithuanian industry within the framework of the multinational CAVS (Common Armoured Vehicle System) programme.
– Our goal is to build a long-term partnership with Lithuania, says Jussi Järvinen, business area director for Protected Mobility at Patria.
He states that Patria has already been collaborating with Lithuanian industrial companies for more than a year on development, production, and maintenance capabilities.
The CAVS programme was launched in 2020 by Finland and Latvia, and today also includes Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The Patria 6x6 is already in service with several of the member nations and has also been taken into operational service in Ukraine.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb welcomed Lithuania's decision in a post on X.
– President Gitanas Nausėda has today confirmed Lithuania's intention to purchase 936 wheeled armoured vehicles from Patria. An excellent choice and a good example of mutually beneficial defence industrial cooperation, writes Stubb.