The Slovak Ministry of Defence (MoD) reported on 26 September that the first Patria 8×8 Armoured Modular Vehicle (AMV) XP has been delivered to Slovakia. A total of 76 AMV XP vehicles are expected to be delivered by 2027.
The first vehicle manufactured for the Slovak Armed Forces is the Patria Ambulance (AMB) variant, which, following its finalisation and trials, will be the first to be accepted into service with the Slovak Army in 2024. The vehicle will be fitted out in Slovakia by KONŠTRUKTA-Defence JSC.
“In practice, it is envisaged that the SVK defence industry will participate in the projects contracted by the Finnish company. So, the Slovak Armed Forces Patria 8×8 AMV XP programme is a milestone in terms of both delivering defence capabilities and strengthening our defence industryʼs production capacity,” Deputy Defence Minister Majer said.
By 2027, a total of 76 Patria 8×8 AMV XP vehicles will be delivered in different variants. Out of these, 60 will be Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFV), 10 will be Ambulances (AMB), and 6 will be Command Post (CP) vehicles.
The finalisation of all Patria 8×8 AMV XP vehicles will be done in Slovakia. This is because the supplier needs to meet the Slovak MoD’s requirement of attaining at least 40% Slovak defence industrial involvement in the project to secure the contract for a replacement IFV vehicle that was put out to international competition in 2021.
Defence Minister Martin Sklenár said: “This is a truly historic moment for our Armed Forces as these vehicles will give our forces a vital capability.“
Chief of Defence General Daniel Zmeko said: “In the Armed Forces, we consider this vehicle to be very special as some of its design elements are unique on the market. These new armoured fighting vehicles based on the 8×8 platform will replace our BVP-1 infantry fighting vehicles, which are hopelessly outdated.“
The Patria AMV, made by the Finnish defence company Patria, is a multi-role military vehicle that has an 8×8 configuration. Its modular design is its most notable feature, as it allows for different turrets, weapons, sensors, or communication systems to be added onto the same carriage.
