The Czech Republic has signed a memorandum with Sweden and Britain’s BAE Systems to buy 210 CV90 tracked combat vehicles, the defense minister said Wednesday.
The memorandum signed on Tuesday “confirms an agreement of all three parties on the basic parameters concerning the purchase of CV90 combat vehicles,” Minister Jana Cernochova said.
She added the deal would be worth up to $2.3 billion, without disclosing further details.
BAE Systems Hagglunds’ CV90 is a tracked combat vehicle with a turret-mounted cannon that can be considered a light tank or armored personnel carrier.
Cernochova was speaking at a televised ceremony at which the Czech Army received the first of 14 Leopard tanks from Germany.
Germany is donating the tanks as compensation for the Czech Republic’s military aid to Ukraine, battling a Russian invasion since February.
Czech defense ministry spokesman Jiri Taborsky told AFP the aid was worth the equivalent of $200 million so far.
The Czech Army and arms companies have also exported military material worth $2 billion to Ukraine this year, over three times more than in 2021.
The ministry said earlier the Czech Army was also planning to buy another 50 Leopard 2 A7+ tanks from Germany.
Last week, the ministry said it would buy a total of 62 Caesar howitzer cannons from France’s Nexter Systems after having raised the number agreed earlier by ten.
This deal designed to replace obsolete Czech-made equipment is worth $77.5 million.
A NATO member since 1999, the Czech Republic has yet to meet its obligation to spend two percent of its gross domestic product on defense.
Last week, neighboring Slovakia signed a deal to buy 152 CV90s worth $1.8 billion.