Norway is ordering 20 Patria 6x6 vehicles under the multinational CAVS programme. The vehicles will be delivered in a command variant and fitted with Kongsberg's remote weapon station Protector RS4. Deliveries are set to begin as early as 2026.
According to a press release from the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (Forsvarsmateriell), the agreement also includes an option for a further 40 vehicles worth around one billion Norwegian kroner. This brings the total potential contract value to approximately 1.5 billion Norwegian kroner.
The procurement also marks the start of the introduction of a new standardised vehicle family in the Norwegian Army. The Patria 6x6 will carry the Norwegian type designation XA-330N and can be configured for, among other things, troop transport, medical evacuation, reconnaissance and command roles.
According to the Chief of the Army, Major General Lars Lervik, Norway will initially mainly receive evacuation vehicles equivalent to those used by other Nordic countries.
"In the first batch, we will mainly receive evacuation vehicles equivalent to those our Nordic colleagues have. They will strengthen our medical evacuation capability at battalion and brigade level in the Army during crisis and war, and represent an important step in the introduction of a new standardised vehicle family and the build-up of the Army," says Lars Lervik in the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency's press release.
In a separate press release from Patria, the company states that the order includes C2 command variants and Kongsberg's remote weapon station Protector RS4, as well as support, training and spare parts. Patria states that deliveries will begin in 2026.
The Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency also describes the CAVS procurement as a way of creating a common vehicle platform with several allies, thereby simplifying maintenance, training and logistics, among other things.
"The underlying philosophy is that this armoured vehicle should be 'good enough for everyone' and help ensure interoperability between the countries. The programme will make operation and maintenance simpler and reduce costs," says Gro Jære, Director General of the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency, in the agency's press release.
CAVS, the Common Armoured Vehicle System, was launched by Finland and Latvia in 2020 and today also includes Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Germany and the United Kingdom. NDS reported in February on Patria's agreement with Kongsberg, worth around 140 million euros, for Protector RS4 units for more than 300 CAVS vehicles for Sweden and Germany. The Norwegian order means that Norway is now also acquiring the RS4 for its own CAVS fleet.