Written by Manel Bernadó Arjona
On 20 July, the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic announced having chosen the CV90 MkIV by BAE Systems Hägglunds as its new Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV). The decision comes after the Czech Government cancelled the tender to acquire over 200 new infantry fighting vehicles after two of the three bidders dropped their proposals (Rheinmetall’s Lynx KF41 and GDELS’ ASCOD 42). The Czech Ministry of Defence will thus start negotiations with the Swedish Government to acquire CV90 vehicles. As indicated by Czech Defence Minister Jana Černochová, the participation of the Czech defence industry in their manufacturing will remain a high priority in the negotiation process.
The CV90 will replace Soviet-era BMP-2 IFVs and allow the Czech Republic to deliver on its commitment with NATO to create a heavy mechanised brigade using Ally-provided advanced combat technology. This fifth-generation IFV is widely used by various European countries, including Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, Estonia, and the Netherlands. Combining enhanced handling and speed for higher battlefield mobility with an improved electronic platform that can support future capabilities, the CV90 offers great potential for growth for the Czech army.
Bibliography
Fiorenza, Nicholas (2022, January 14). New Czech defence minister sets her priorities. Janes. Retrieved from: https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/new-czech-defence-minister-sets-her-priorities
Malyasov, Dylan (2022, July 22). Czech Republic selects BAE’s CV90 as next fighting vehicle. Defence Blog. Retrieved from: https://defence-blog.com/czech-republic-selects-baes-cv90-as-next-fighting-vehicle/
Táborský, Jiří (2022, July 20). Defence Minister authorised to negotiate procurement of CV90 vehicles, F-35 fighters. Ministry of Defence Press Section. Retrieved from: https://www.army.cz/en/ministry-of-defence/newsroom/news/the-government-of-the-czech-republic-authorised-the-defence-minister-to-negotiate-the-acquisition-of-swedish-cv90-infantry-fighting-vehicles-and-the-a-237515/
Thorén, Ola (2021, September 2). BAE Systems offers advanced, combat-proven CV90 to Czech Army in partnership with VOP. BAE Systems. Retrieved from: https://www.baesystems.com/en/article/bae-systems-offers-advanced-combat-proven-cv90-to-czech-army-in-partnership-with-vop
Photograph copyright by Šubrt, Karel (2017). Retrieved from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CV90_CZr_with_MCT-30_RWS.JPG
