The Netherlands is contributing approximately four billion kronor to the production of the CV90 combat vehicle.
The aim is to be able to send more combat vehicles to Ukraine more quickly.
The Netherlands is one of eight countries – nine including Ukraine – that use the Swedish-made combat vehicle and will now both support production and manufacture it themselves.
We are very pleased with the CV90 and we know that Ukraine is also very pleased. What we need to do is ensure that more are produced, says the Netherlands' Swedish-speaking Defence Minister Kajsa Ollongren at a press conference with her colleague Pål Jonson (The Moderate Party) in connection with this week's NATO meeting in Brussels.
Local production
400 million euros from the Netherlands are now being invested in production and will contribute to both Swedish and Dutch production. The ministers do not want to go into detail about what the investment means in terms of the number of vehicles.
We're starting in Holland as soon as possible. It will go relatively quickly, promises Ollongren – with a Swedish mother and a Dutch father with Finnish-Swedish roots.
This will be an important long-term contribution to enhancing Ukraine's capabilities, says Jonson.
Changing calibre
In parallel, Sweden is simultaneously switching to a new calibre of ammunition and making 35 millimetres the standard in the CV90.
Sweden operates 40 millimetre in the CV90, but we're alone in that. It's certainly very effective, but the more who use 35 – as many do – the easier it is to work with standardisation of ammunition and that's extremely important, says Jonson in Brussels.
The Combat Vehicle 90 – CV90 in English – is a Swedish tracked combat vehicle.
The vehicle is manufactured by BAE Hägglunds in Örnsköldsvik and has been exported to several countries. It was developed in the 1990s and has since been further developed.
The Combat Vehicle 90 is manned by a vehicle commander, a driver, and a gunner. Additionally, up to seven soldiers can ride in a compartment at the rear.
The Swedish army has approximately 500 Combat Vehicle 90s, of which 50 have been donated to Ukraine.
