Kongsberg has signed a contract with Patria to deliver Protector remote weapon stations to Sweden and Finland’s 6×6 Common Armored Vehicle System (CAVS) platforms.
CAVS is a strategic cooperation between EU members to integrate a unified amphibious fleet into their respective military forces. Patria serves as the primary contractor.
Costing 1.2 billion Norwegian kroner ($110 million), the agreement will supply Kongsberg’s remote turret capability in its RS4 variant to over 300 vehicles ordered by the Swedish and Finnish governments under the program.
Deliveries of the Protector will begin in 2025 and run through the 2030s.
“At Kongsberg, we are pleased to be working closely with Patria to strengthen the defence capabilities of Sweden and Finland,” Patria CEO and President Esa Rautalinko said.
“The selection of common military equipment among Nordic countries ensures military interoperability and increased logistical efficiency. It also strengthens industry cooperation in support of NATO’s vision for interchangeability of equipment and security of supply.”
Kongsberg’s Protector RS4
The Protector RS4 weighs up to 190 kilograms (419 pounds). It can be integrated with a Browning M2 machine gun, an M134 Gatling gun, and 40-millimeter grenade launchers.
It also deploys non-lethal effectors as well as different anti-tank guided missiles to counter heavy enemy vehicles.
“This agreement enables a unique opportunity to deliver weapon systems to serve the needs of multiple countries under one contract and is yet another milestone for the international CAVS programme,” Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace President Eirik Lie commented on the latest contract.
“The efficiency and system unity benefits between the partner nations are unprecedented and were already utilised in the cooperation during the development phase.”
Common Armored Vehicle System
Patria designed the CAVS vehicle based on the company’s 8×8 armored military vehicle. The new, 6X6 system travels up to 60 miles (100 kilometers) per hour on land and 5 miles (8 kilometers) on water.
The program partners, including Latvia, selected the platform as their common system in 2020. Sweden and Germany later joined the effort.
In March 2024, Patria received a contract to provide 321 CAVS platforms to Sweden.
Finland bought 40 CAVS vehicles two months earlier in addition to a 20-unit order Helsinki placed in June 2023.