Breaking news
Patria handed over the first refurbished and upgraded XA-180 APC to the Finnish Defence Forces.
| a | |||
Defence & Security Industry News - Patria |
|||
| Thursday, November 13, 2014 08:33 PM | |||
| Patria handed over the first refurbished and upgraded XA-180 APC to the Finnish Defence Forces | |||
Patria
handed over the first modernised XA-180 armoured personnel carrier to
the Finnish Defence Forces. It is a pre-series vehicle, based on which
the actual series of 70 vehicles will be modernised during 2015-2017.
The contract also includes an option, whose implementation would extend
to 2021, for the modernisation of 210 vehicles. |
|||
Upgraded Patria's
XA-180 Armoured Personnel Carrier (Pic.: Patria) |
|||
This modernisation project will secure the vehicle's
lifecycle and usability long into the future. The changes made in the
vehicles include seats providing improved road safety, electric systems
with instrumentation, and new external surfacing. The key components
of every vehicle, such as the engine, power transmission and axles will
also be inspected and renovated or changed, if necessary. This will
also enhance the vehicles' performance.
"This is an important domestic project for Patria and it also has major impact on the employment at the Hämeenlinna plant. A vehicle modernisation project for the Finnish Defence Forces is also an excellent reference with a view to similar international projects. Thanks are due to the project team, partners and the customer for a good launch of the project, as well as their smooth and flexible cooperation. The project is proceeding as planned, and the next step is the start of serial production. We also hope that the project will advance smoothly into the second phase of production after completion of the first one, without interruptions in production. This would enhance cost-efficiency as well. We hope that decisions on the second phase of the project, concerns financing and budgeting, will be made within the planned target schedule well before the first phase of production is completed," says Mika Kari, President of Land Systems and Land Services at Patria. The modernisation project is related to the Finnish Defence Forces' Capability Development Programme, which aims at improving mobility of the troops. The vehicles going through a lifecycle update will be used for equipping regional and operative forces in particular. The oldest XA-180 vehicles date back to the early 1980s. Thanks to the modernisation project, this successful Patria product will have its overall lifecycle extended well beyond 50 years. Patria is the original manufacturer of the vehicle. |
|||