Latvia to Receive First ASCOD Infantry Fighting Vehicles in Spring 2026

Latvia will receive the first of the 84 ordered ASCOD infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), known locally in the Latvian Armed Forces as Hunter, in spring 2026.

The Spanish outlet elEconomista reported on this.

According to the media, Santa Bárbara Sistemas, the manufacturer of the ASCOD IFV, has signed a contract with Piedrafita, a company specializing in suspension systems for defense vehicles, to supply the suspension system for the Hunter IFVs destined for Latvia.

The first suspension system units have already been delivered and are currently being integrated at the Santa Bárbara Sistemas plant in Trubia, where the Hunter IFVs are being assembled and prepared for delivery under the international contract.

The Hunter IFV, developed on the ASCOD platform in line with the requirements of Latvia’s Ministry of Defence, will be equipped with a suspension system manufactured by Piedrafita. Santa Bárbara Sistemas, a subsidiary of the U.S.-based General Dynamics, stated that this cooperation “strengthens the export of national technologies and the role of the Spanish defense industry within Europe.”

According to the media, the first IFVs are expected to arrive in Latvia this spring, one year after the Latvian Ministry of Defence signed the contract for the initial batch.

History of Latvia’s ASCOD IFV contract

The procurement process started in early 2023 and included several stages, notably a comprehensive pre-selection of potential suppliers.

In the autumn of the same year, functional trials of various IFV types were conducted to assess their performance characteristics under real-world conditions.

After the trials were completed, the Latvian National Armed Forces conducted a detailed analysis that considered factors such as compliance with operational requirements, technical specifications, available equipment, total life-cycle cost, delivery timelines, and the level of local industrial participation.

As a result of the evaluation, the ASCOD platform was selected. The contract for the delivery of the first batch of ASCOD infantry fighting vehicles was signed on January 30, 2025. Its value amounted to €387 million. In June 2025, the Latvian Cabinet of Ministers approved the Ministry of Defence’s proposal to procure an additional 42 ASCOD IFVs at the same price. The first vehicles are planned to enter service by autumn 2026.

The procurement contract also covers partial localization of production. Assembly and maintenance of the ASCOD IFVs will take place at the Patria armored vehicle production facility of Defense Partnership Latvia (DPL) in Valmiera, which was opened in May 2024.

According to the Latvian Ministry of Defence, the ASCOD IFVs will be equipped with an automatic cannon, anti-tank guided missiles, a machine gun, and “other modern technologies” to enhance soldiers’ situational awareness on the battlefield.

The IFV crew consists of three servicemen. The vehicle can transport and deploy six fully equipped soldiers.

The ASCOD features Level 4 ballistic protection under the STANAG 4569 standard – capable of withstanding 14.5 mm armor-piercing rounds – as well as Level 4a/4b mine protection, corresponding to resistance against the detonation of 10 kg of explosives.