The rebuilding of the Danish armed forces is noticeably picking up speed. A key example of this is the purchase of 130 6×6 armored personnel carriers from the Finnish manufacturer Patria. Copenhagen joined the corresponding CAVS program just a few days ago.
According to a recent announcement from the Danish Ministry of Defense, the national armed forces will receive a number of vehicles this year that will be used for training purposes. This will allow the soldiers to familiarize themselves with the new equipment at an early stage – and prepare for a larger influx in 2026.
“This acquisition is a prime example of successful Nordic defense cooperation. The 130 armored vehicles strengthen our military operational capability, and thanks to the early delivery of some units, our armed forces can take over and test the new material more quickly. In the current security situation, this is of central importance,” explains Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen.
The vehicles will be deployed in both the light infantry battalion and the heavy brigade. They are intended for various tasks – including as command vehicles, communication platforms, medical vehicles and for electronic warfare – and will be used in both infantry and engineer units.
The total volume of the procurement amounts to around 250 million euros and is being fully financed by the state “Acceleration Fund”.
“By purchasing these Patria vehicles, we are comprehensively modernizing the Danish land forces – and at the same time making a contribution to strengthening the European defence industry. Supporting European suppliers through targeted defence procurement is a strategically important step that we are consistently pursuing with this decision,” continued Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen.
The vehicles were designed as part of the multinational CAVS development program with Sweden, Germany, Latvia and Finland mentioned at the beginning and are manufactured in Finland.
Click here for further news about Patria.
