Germany will purchase the Finnish Patria 6×6 armored personnel carrier as the main wheeled armored vehicle for the army.

This was reported by Hartpunkt.

Currently, the German Federal Ministry of Defense is seeking to submit the purchase of the first batch of armored personnel carriers in the amount of 300 units for parliamentary discussion as soon as possible.

This proposal must be approved by the Bundeswehr’s procurement department, which will give the green light to sign a contract and produce the vehicles for the Bundeswehr. As part of the future deal, Germany plans to purchase about 1,000 armored personnel carriers to replace the outdated Fuchs armored personnel carriers in the army.

In addition, Patria is expected to submit a binding proposal for the purchase of a new generation of armored personnel carriers.

The new APCs can be purchased as part of the international project “Common Armored Vehicle System” (CAVS). Finland, Latvia, Sweden, and Germany are currently participating in the multinational program.

The signing of the relevant agreement between the German Federal Ministry of Defense and Patria is expected in the summer and fall of 2025.

“We hope that the procurement of the Fuchs successor will move forward this year and are working with full commitment with our German industrial team to make this possible,” Patria representatives stated.

Currently, the Finnish company has joined forces with two German companies: DSL Defence Service Logistics GmbH (DSL), a subsidiary of the KNDS Group, and FFG Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft mbH (FFG) in mid-February 2024 to provide the Bundeswehr with a successor to the Fuchs APC and offer development, production and maintenance of Patria 6×6 variants.

The division of work obligations stipulates that Patria will act as the prime contractor under the international CAVS program if Germany signs a formal contract. The Finnish group will also take a leading role in the concept and development of an armored personnel carrier variant for Germany. DSL and FFG, together with its subsidiary Jungsthal Wehrtechnik (JWT), are designated to provide local design, production, and life cycle support in Freisen, Flensburg, and Kirchen.

Nevertheless, Germany will not carry out the full production and supply of individual components for the armored personnel carrier, although a significant share will still be produced in Germany.

The choice of the Finnish manufacturer is due to the lower cost of the Patria 6×6 armored personnel carrier, which is currently being actively produced for both the Finnish Armed Forces and export customers. In turn, the rejection of Fuchs Evolution armored personnel carriers was primarily due to their high price and lack of production in Europe.

In addition, the only country that produces Fuchs Evolution armored personnel carriers is Algeria, where licensed production takes place. The new armored personnel carrier is scheduled to replace the fleet of German vehicles in 2026.