Estonia is purchasing 44 CV90 infantry combat vehicles, unarmed support vehicles based on the Leopard I tank and maintenance kits for the vehicles. Under a bilateral cooperation agreement, Estonia and the Netherlands are also planning a joint procurement of munitions and spare parts.
Defence Minister Sven Mikser stated that the acquisition represented Estonia’s largest defence procurement to date. “The infantry combat vehicles will take Estonia’s fighting power to a new level,” said Mikser. “It is one of the three main priorities of the national defence development plan alongside self-propelled artillery and the recently completed procurement of the Javelin anti-tank missile systems.”
For a good price, Estonia is acquiring outstanding infantry combat vehicles, which are modern, have proved themselves in combat and are made for the conditions of northern Europe, according to Mikser. “In the course of a selection process, our experts assessed various possible combat vehicle that would be suitable and the CV90 proved the most modern of these, having the best combat capability,” said the Defence Minister.
The CV90 infantry combat vehicles will be part of the armament of the Defence Forces’ professional Scouts Battalion to guarantee the Battalion’s manoeuvrability, greater fire power and increased protection. The CV90 will be part of the Defence Forces’ weaponry for years to come.
The vehicles will arrive in Estonia in stages from 2016 to 2018. At the same time as the vehicles are being delivered, Estonian Defence Forces personnel will receive training in their use, starting from next year; the necessary infrastructure and training areas will also be developed in stages.
In February 2015, the Armed Forces of the Netherlands will bring a small number of infantry combat vehicles to Estonia for training together with the Estonian Defence Forces. The Dutch CV90s will also participate in the Independence Day parade on 24 February.
Although used, the CV90s to be bought by Estonia are at the beginning of their life cycle. All vehicle will undergo maintenance and repair in the Netherlands before delivery.
The CV9035NL is an infantry combat vehicle of the CV90 family developed in Sweden for the Royal Netherlands Army. The vehicles are produced by BAE Systems Hägglunds AB. The CV90 was introduced into service in the mid-1990s.
The CV90 is used by the defence forces of the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, Finland and Sweden. The CV90 has proved itself in the difficult conditions in Afghanistan.
