Swedish army to get BAE Systems Bv410 articulated vehicles under European CATV programme.

On the European procurement platform TED (no date mentioned by Estonian Free Press who published the info on December 1), the Swedish procurement agency Försvarets Materielverk (FMV) announced the conclusion of a framework contract with BAE Systems Hägglunds for the delivery of 436 Bv 410 articulated all-terrain vehicles. The contract is valued at SEK 7.6 Bn (EUR 690 Mn) and includes spare parts and logistical support.
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Bandvagn (tracked vehicle) Bv 410 tracked all-terrain armored vehicle of the Swedish army. (Picture source: Swedish MoD)

The contract is part of the Cold-Weather All-Terrain Vehicle programme (CATV, reported as Collaborative All-Terrain Vehicle by Estonian Free Press) which Sweden, Germany, the UK and the Netherlands joined in 2019 to jointly develop an all-terrain vehicle as a successor to the Hägglunds Bv 206. The intention is to create five national versions based on the joint development result, which would be able to accommodate locally-developed mission systems.

Germany has a requirement for 140 vehicles at an expected cost of approximately EUR 280 Mn. At present, Germany is in the process of finalizing its technical requirements, following which parliamentary approval will be sought for an initial EUR 25 Mn purchase, Estonian Free Press reports. Around EUR 18 Mn from the Bundeswehr’s special fund has been earmarked for the project in 2023, and a commitment appropriation of just under 1.2 billion euros for the following years.

This announcement of a new Swedish order is somewhat puzzling: as published by Army Recognition on September 27, 2021, according to information published by Allison Transmission, the Swedish Defense Materiel Administration (FMV) had signed a contract with BAE Systems to produce and deliver 127 Bandvagn 410 vehicles, an improved version of the BvS10 MkII all-terrain tracked armored vehicle, with Allison fully automatic transmissions. 127 vehicles, not 436. Further information would then be welcome. And this new order does not mention Beowulf, the most recent version that won U.S. Army’s competition.

The Bandvagn 410 offers great tactical mobility in difficult terrain as well as amphibious abilities. It can reach up to 65 km/h. FMV stated that the Bandvagn 410 offers unique capabilities in challenging terrain and difficult situations.

Strict requirements are placed on operational reliability on a tracked vehicle that can be used in an advanced combat environment. This also includes the individual components in the vehicle, of which the Allison Transmission 3000 Series is a very important part. IM Transmission, an Allison Authorized distributor, has been responsible for the delivery of the gearbox to the FMV: “We have worked with Allison Transmission regarding transmissions for our Bandvagn 410 for a long time and are very happy with the quality product Allison delivers. Our collaboration with IM Transmission also works very well. They are a flexible and responsible supplier with whom we have a good relationship,” said Ola Thorén, Communications Manager at BAE Systems.

“Our Allison 3000 transmission contributes to excellent maneuverability for crawling in difficult terrain or navigating tight spaces, while providing superior startability and the ability for rapid acceleration,” said Mats Hallgren, Market Developer Nordics at Allison Transmission.

The BvS10 MkII was presented for the first time to the public at DSEI 2009 Defence exhibition in London. It has a greater payload, a higher level of protection due to a redesigned hull floor and a new armor package, a more powerful Cummins engine, and an upgraded electrical system.

Earlier versions of the Bandvagn 410 can already be found in the Swedish Armed Forces, and the model has been manufactured with transmissions from Allison ever since the start. The delivery of the 127 vehicles had been planned to start in 2022 and be completed in 2024. So, it seems the Swedish army’s order has been increased to reach 436 vehicles but this figure remains to be checked. Indeed, in addition to Sweden, Germany, the United Kingdom and The Netherlands currently use earlier versions of the Bandvagn 410. The Swedish order is part of a joint procurement carried out by these countries. Depending on what the countries have decided, there can be a total of between 500 and 900 vehicles.

Bandvagn 410 is an improved version of the BvS10 MkII illustrated here above (Picture source: BAE Systems)