Today in Sweden, a Czech delegation led by Defense Minister Jana Černochová was officially presented with the first CV90 tracked infantry fighting vehicle intended for the Czech Army. This significant event, also attended by the CZ DEFENCE team, marks the next key phase in the strategic order for 246 CV90 MkIV vehicles for our 7th Mechanized Brigade.

In addition to the aforementioned Minister of Defense, the Czech side was represented by the First Deputy Minister of Defense František Šulc, Director General of the Armament and Acquisitions Section of the Ministry of Defense Lubor Koudelka, Director General of the Industrial Cooperation Section of the Ministry of Defense Radka Konderlová, and Director of the Force Development Section of the Ministry of Defense Major General Petr Milčický. The Swedish Minister of Defense Pål Jonson was also present at the presentation of the first vehicle for the Czech Armed Forces. The event also included a tour of the BAE Systems Hägglunds production hall.

The contract for the delivery of 246 CV90 MkIV infantry fighting vehicles was signed by the Czech Republic and BAE Systems Hägglunds in May 2023, approximately one year after the government tasked the Minister of Defense Jana Černochová with negotiating the purchase of new vehicles with the Swedish government in the summer of 2022.

Of the total number of 246 vehicles, 39 will be manufactured in Sweden and another 207 will be assembled in the Czech Republic at VOP CZ, for which the state-owned company is already preparing. In addition to vehicle assembly, VOP CZ will also carry out painting and final testing at its local proving ground. The armored vehicles will then be handed over to the Czech Army. The first deliveries of tracked IFVs from Sweden are expected to arrive next year, with the main deliveries taking place between 2027 and 2030.

A number of Czech representatives of the defense industry will participate in the CV90 project for the Czech Army. In addition to the aforementioned state-owned company VOP CZ, the main industrial partners will be Excalibur Army, VR Group, Ray Service, and Meopta. Other collaborators include EVPÚ Defence, ZAKO Turčín, JihoTech, Chropyňská strojírna, Laser Centrum CZ, and others.

In addition to the CV90 project for the Czech Army, some of these companies are involved in the production of components for international CV90 programs, including versions for Sweden, Ukraine, Denmark, and Slovakia, as well as for other BAE Systems platforms, such as the BvS10 tracked vehicle.

As part of the CV90 project for the Czech Armed Forces, BAE Systems Hägglunds in Örnsköldsvik is regularly visited by a Czech working group consisting of members of the Czech Armed Forces, experts in the field of acquisitions and development of armed forces, members of the 7th Mechanized Brigade, and representatives of VOP CZ. The group focuses on a number of key areas important for the full-scale introduction of tracked IFVs into the army's arsenal.

Future users of the new CV90 tracked vehicles – members of the 7th Mechanized Brigade – have already had several opportunities to see the armored vehicle in person, for example last year in Přáslavice, where they were able to examine the vehicle in detail and familiarize themselves with its capabilities, or this year at the STAMPEDING BISON 2025 exercise.

By acquiring CV90 vehicles, the Czech Republic will join the family of existing users, which includes Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Estonia, and Switzerland. This IFV has also proven its qualities on the Ukrainian battlefield, where it is used by the Ukrainian army.