HELSINKI (Finland), April 18, 2018, Text: Bm News Team, Photo: YouTube

The Estonian fleet of CV9035s (the second of the export models of the CV90 (Combat Vehicle 90) tracked Infantry Fighting Vehicle – IFV) will be jointly maintained by the Patria’s subsidiary Milrem LCM and BAE Systems, for which they have signed an agreement, announced Patria.

The agreement is part of the contract of BAE Systems with the Estonian Government for maintenance of the purchased in 2014 forty-four surplus Dutch CV9035 vehicles. The first batch of CV9035 IFVs purchased from the Netherlands arrived in Estonia in October 2016, and a second batch was delivered in December 2017.

The Estonian provider of lifecycle support services for heavy and armoured vehicles, weapon systems and other military equipment – Milrem LCM will provide maintenance and repair services for the CV9035s from its facilities in Estonia.

Kuldar Väärsi, CEO of Milrem LCM, said, “We are proud to work with BAE Systems’ as its preferred maintenance support partner in Estonia. Milrem LCM is committed to providing the most reliable framework for the Estonian Defence Forces as the country seeks to increase the combat capability of its land forces, now and in the future.”

Another goal of the Estonian Centre for Defence Investment, which is expected to be achieved thanks to the teaming of BAE Systems with Milrem LCM is the maintenance, repair and rebuild of the Estonian thirty-seven support vehicles CV90 Mk I additionally acquired from Norway. As soon as outfitted, the support vehicles will become part of the same mechanized battalion, to which the CV9035s belong.

More than 1,280 CV90 IFVs in 15 variants are operated in Estonia, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Milrem LCM is a reliable and trustworthy partner for the Estonian Defence Forces. It is owned by Patria (60%), which is an international provider of defence, security and aviation life cycle support services and technology solutions and Mootor Grupp (40%).