Swedish CV90 Mk IV infantry fighting vehicle wins Slovak competition

As far as arms contracts are concerned, the arguments used to choose equipment, especially when it comes to imports, are most often vague, not to say opaque.

In this area, the competition organized by the Slovak authorities with a view to upgrading or replacing its fleet of BVP-1/2 infantry fighting vehicles inherited from the Warsaw Pact era, will have been of unprecedented clarity. , offering an objective vision of the options considered as well as the characteristics of the armored vehicles selected, both in the operational field and from a budgetary and industrial point of view.

At the end of this particularly precise and documented process, the CV90 MK IV in its CV9030 configuration armed with a 30 mm Bushmaster II cannon obtained a score of 99,67%. It outclassed the ASCOD proposed by Great Britain and Spain, the KF-41 Lynx proposed by the German Rheinmetall in partnership with Hungary, the Polish Borsuk and the other CV90 in CV9035 version armed with a cannon of 35 mm Bushmaster III proposed by Sweden and Great Britain.

Modernize the VCI fleet of the Slovak armies

To modernize its fleet of Infantry fighting vehicles, the Slovak authorities considered four options, ranging from the inexpensive, but ineffective recapitalization of the potential of its BVP-2 (local designation of the BMP-2), to direct acquisition on the shelf of imported armored vehicles, through the modernization of the BVP-2 and, the solution chosen, the local construction of an imported model.

Faced with the inability of the BVP-2, even thoroughly modernized, to meet the requirements of the Slovak operational contract in terms of protection (Stanag 5 against shells and missiles, Stanag 3 against mines), hypotheses of this type were quickly ruled out. , while the hypothesis of off-the-shelf acquisition did not present a satisfactory budgetary and industrial return.

Quickly, the hypothesis of local construction of an imported model emerged, and Bratislava sent a request for information to the four manufacturers previously mentioned.

The Slovak specifications were, in this, particularly clear and ambitious, so as to provide an objective and clear analysis grid. In addition to the protection requirements, the IFV had to be able to destroy an opposing armor protected by armor equivalent to the Stanag 5 at 500 m using its on-board gun.

It must also destroy heavy tanks at 2000 meters using anti-tank missiles, the Eurospike LR2 having been selected. In addition, it must have modern means of communication compatible with NATO, crossing capabilities and mobility adapted to engagement in Central Europe on all terrain, be able to operate in a contaminated NBCR environment and have a protection system. active to ensure the survivability of the armored vehicle.

Finally, taking into account local manufacturing, the tank should not exceed the unit price of €1,738,931,000.

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