It was back in January of 2020 that it was announced that Finland and Latvia had agreed on a joint development programme for sustained army mobility enhancement. The ultimate result of this collaboration would be a 6×6 vehicle chassis platform. The broader name for this program is the Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS). The goal of this common vehicle system was to enhance mobility, cost-efficiency, interoperability and security-of-supply of the armies in both countries.
Leading the collaboration was a mainly Finnish company known as Patria. The firm is 50.1% owned by the State of Finland, while 49.9% is owned by Norwegian Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace. Commenting on the launch of the CAVS program, the head of Patria’s Land business unit said:
“This is an important opening for us, and we hope to see this new vehicle version in production as part of this programme. [The] Patria 6×6 vehicle is our top-notch product combining excellent terrain mobility and ease of use. Long life-span and easy maintenance make it very cost-efficient. It adapts into several missions. Naturally, it would be great if there were also other countries joining forces with Finland and Latvia,”
In a previous YouTube video we covered Latvia’s acquisition of the Patria wheeled, 6×6 Armored personnel carrier (APC). In that video we went over the general history of the deal and highlighted that, while Patria is very much a Finnish company, most of the 6×6 APCs for Latvia’s National Armed Forces will be built domestically, in Latvia.
Through a technology transfer agreement with Patria, the 6×6 APCs are being assembled in Valmiera, Latvia – a town of over 20,000 residents. Many of the vehicles components are also being manufactured in Latvia before heading to Valmiera for final assembly.
A company by the name of Defence Partnership Latvia (DPL) has been established to do the job of producing the armored vehicles. The partnership part of the name refers to the fact that it’s a joint venture between Finland’s Patria, and Latvian company Unitruck, which operates in the metals industry.
According to Patria, DPL will be providing maintenance, repair, system integration and logistics services to the Latvian Defence Forces. Back in 2021, 4 DPL technicians and a maintenance manager visited Patria’s facilities in Finland and received preliminary information about the structure and manufacture of the vehicles.
Patria also hosted welders from Latvian metal company SFM Latvia to receive training in Finland. The Latvian companies EMJ Metāls and Metāro were also said to be involved in manufacturing components for the vehicles.
The armored vehicle’s hull and hull parts are manufactured in Ķekava and Rīga. The hatch covers, doors, other parts, floating devices – they are made in Saldus. The frame of the car is made in Jelgava.
The Latvian Ministry of Defence notes that local production will increase security of supply for defence materiel and create the conditions required for development in the Latvian defence industry. It was also noted that this results in a more cost-effective and resilient supply chain – and so existing suppliers in Finland and new ones from Latvia will support operations in all of Patria’s projects.
It was mentioned in a Latvian military video that the frames or ‘shells’ are delivered from a company by the name of EMJ Metāls. These get filled with material in phases 1 through 5 the person in the video explains. Slowly turning into a vehicle, the engine and chassis are connected afterwards and the APC can move under its own power.
It’s explained that the vehicle must undergo pre-delivery testing, including:
- 200km of driving on public roads.
- An additional 20km of off-road driving (done within military training areas).
- Basic testing prior to driving on public roads, which includes braking, steering, and suspension.
Brakes are tested by having the vehicle drive up a 60% incline and then applying the handbrake. Brakes are further tested at a special facility to measure braking power on each wheel. It’s explained that there must be no more than a 14% difference in braking power between the left and right wheels.
The vehicle’s amphibious ability is also put to the test as seen in the image above from Sargs.LV. This includes ensuring that the interior is water-tight and that its propellors and steering are in working order.
Once everything is tested and approved, the vehicle is washed and painted with a camouflage pattern. Inspectors from the armed forces then do their own checks and officially take delivery of the vehicle.
As we noted in our previous video, the Valmiera plant can produce a maximum of 160 Patria 6×6 armored personnel carriers per year. However, for Latvia’s order, the output rate is 30 Patria armored vehicles per year as the country has ordered more than 200 by 2029.
