BAE Systems Hägglunds has rolled out the first of 152 ordered combat vehicles of the type CV9035 MkIV for the Slovak Armed Forces. The presentation took place during a ceremony in Örnsköldsvik (northern Sweden) and is said to be a central part of the modernization of the country's ground combat forces.

– We are proud to see that the Slovak CV90 programme is progressing according to plan, with effective industrial cooperation at its core, says Tommy Gustafsson-Rask, CEO of BAE Systems Hägglunds, in a press release.

The vehicle is the first in line to leave the production line since the second half of 2025 and is currently undergoing tests in Sweden. The delivery is carried out according to an intergovernmental agreement between Sweden and Slovakia. The contract includes a comprehensive requirement for domestic participation, with Slovak companies accounting for over 40 percent of the total contract value. The Slovak supply chain now includes nearly 30 companies, according to BAE.

The Slovak configuration of the CV9035 MkIV is armed with a 35 mm Bushmaster III automatic cannon. The platform is also equipped with an active protection system (APS), an integrated anti-tank missile, and an upgraded engine with a power output of up to 1,000 horsepower.

Sweden's Minister of Defence, Pål Jonson, attended the rollout in Örnsköldsvik together with Slovakia's Minister of Defence, Robert Kaliňák. In a post on social media, the Minister of Defence comments on the event.

– The CV90's mobility, protection, and advanced firepower will significantly enhance Slovakia's ground combat forces and strengthen European defence cooperation, says Pål Jonson.

Peter Öhman, project manager for Combat Vehicle 90 at the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV), explains in an update on LinkedIn that the currently relevant Slovak vehicle plays an important role in the broader European materiel supply.

– It is this vehicle that, with minor modifications, serves as the template for the combat vehicle being procured in the 6-nation project together with Finland, Norway, Lithuania, Estonia, and the Netherlands. In Sweden, it will have the bureaucratically perfected name PBV 9435, says Peter Öhman.