Finland's Minister of Defence Antti Kaikkonen (Cen) has authorised the Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) to purchase 91 armoured 6x6 personnel carriers from Finnish defence equipment manufacturer Patria, the government announced in a press release on Friday.
The procurement, valued at around 208 million euros not including VAT, is part of the Finnish-led CAVS project (Common Armoured Vehicle System), which also includes Latvia, Sweden and Germany.
Participating countries, along with Patria, are to develop an armoured vehicle system that meets the requirements of Patria's 6x6 vehicles, in a range of different versions.
"The procurement will develop the mobility of the Army with domestically manufactured vehicles. They are ideal for Finnish conditions and are highly cost-effective throughout their life cycle," Kaikkonen said in the press release.
Deliveries of the vehicles will begin this year, according to the government.
In addition to the 91 vehicles, the procurement also includes user and maintenance training, along with a provision for the procurement of up to 70 additional vehicles.
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