The new Wheeled APC wil replace tracked vehicles including the PBV302, Swedish Hägglunds BV206(S) and Russian origin MT-LB, as well as several wheeled 6×6 APC variants of the Patria PASI Series.
The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) announced a request for Quotation (RFA) for the delivery of hundreds of wheeled armored personnel carriers to equip Swedish Army mechanized battalions by 2014. The new vehicles are required to replace aeging tracked and wheeled APCs currently operational as armored personnel, combat support and combat service support carriers. In the past years FMV considered the development of an indigenous platform (SEP) but cancelled this plan. BAE Systems is expected to be one of the candidates for the new program, offering a new wheeled platform derived from the SEP program. Other offers are expected from international bidders such as General Dynamics Land Systems, and fromFrance, Germany and Finland.
The new vehicles are required to replace aeging APCs currently operational as armored personnel, combat support and combat service support carriers, including tracked platforms such as the PBV302, Swedish Hägglunds BV206(S) and Russian origin MT-LB, and well as several wheeled 6×6 APC variants of the Patria PASI (XA-180/202 and 203).
FMV decided that the new armored vehicles should be wheeled. Initially, 113 vehicles would be required to equip mechanized ‘medium weight’ battalions. Overall, up to 150 vehicles will be needed, to augment and replace some of the APCs currently supporting heavy armor battalions equipped with Leopard 2 and CV90 tanks. The basic requirement is for 74 APCs, 10 company command vehicles, 18 armored ambulances, four communications carriers and seven repair vehicles.
FMV also requests an option to double its order as well as split or differ some of the logistical support packages. The vehicles are scheduled to be operational in the first battalion by 2014. Proposals for this tender are expected by the end of November with contracts to be concluded in the first half of 2009.
