Latvian Defense Milestone: Unveiling the Nation’s First Homegrown Patria 6×6 Armored Personnel Carrier

On Monday, 5 August 2024, Defence Partnership Latvia, a joint venture predominantly owned by Patria, presented the inaugural Latvian-manufactured Patria 6×6 armoured personnel carrier to the Latvian National Armed Forces during a formal ceremony at the military installation “Ādaži”.

Through a contract signed with Patria in 2021, the Latvian Ministry of Defence commissioned over 200 Patria 6×6 armoured vehicles intended for delivery by 2029. This collaboration agreement enhances the operational capabilities of the Latvian National Armed Forces (NAF) and aids in the growth of the Latvian defence technological and industrial sector.

The occasion was graced by the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Latvia, Andris Sprūds, Chairman of the Board of Defence Partnership Latvia and Patria Latvia, Uģis Romanovs, and Acting Commander of the Home Guard, Colonel Gunārs Vizulis.

“In the last four years since Latvia has joined the multinational Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS) initiative, we have achieved a crucial milestone of the program – the handover of the first armoured personnel carrier fully manufactured in Latvia to the National Armed Forces (NAF). With the launch of the Valmiera facility in May, we are concentrating on fulfilling the Latvian armoured personnel carrier order while simultaneously advancing other NAF capability enhancement initiatives in our production plant, thereby reinforcing both NAF operational strengths and the Latvian industrial and economic landscape,” remarked Uģis Romanovs, Chairman of the Board of Defence Partnership Latvia and Patria Latvia.

At the end of May, an armoured personnel carrier manufacturing facility was inaugurated in Valmiera, where approximately thirty Patria 6×6 armoured personnel carriers are slated for annual production. The Patria armoured vehicle facility in Valmiera is the first and currently the sole one in the Baltics.

The Patria 6×6 platform was selected for the CAVS initiative, which already includes participation from Finland, Latvia, Sweden, and Germany. Besides Latvia, ongoing deliveries of CAVS-related Patria 6×6 vehicles are also being made to Finland and Sweden, with units currently in active use. Patria has received requests for nearly 700 Patria 6×6 vehicles, and around 200 have already been delivered. The program is accessible to European nations with comparable equipment needs, contingent upon the approval of the participating countries.