Lithuania to Purchase About 1,000 Armored Personnel Carriers from Patria

Lithuania will purchase 936 multi-purpose armored personnel carriers from the Finnish company Patria.

This was reported by LRT.

The purchase will be made in accordance with a decision recently adopted by the State Defense Council. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda stated that the country plans to acquire 300 such vehicles by 2030.

He also emphasized that one of Vilnius’s key requirements is the localization of part of the production within Lithuania.

Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas clarified that the new armored personnel carriers will not replace the Vilkas or CV90 infantry fighting vehicles, the procurement of which is currently underway.

“This is a supplement; it is what the military needs so that 20,000 or more service members can be safely transported to and from the front lines. This includes medical, air defense, and engineering capabilities,” Kaunas said.

According to the minister, before selecting Patria as the optimal platform, the Lithuanian side analyzed proposals from a number of manufacturers.

Negotiations are currently underway regarding the organization of local production in Lithuania.

It is worth noting that neighboring Latvia is also actively purchasing Patria armored personnel carriers and has already launched their production on its own territory.