Patria to supply additional Leopard 2L Bridge Laying Vehicles to Finnish army.

Patria, in collaboration with the Logistics Command of the Finnish Defence Forces, has recently agreed to the provision of new Leopard 2L Tracked Bridge Laying Vehicles. This acquisition by the Finnish Defence Forces involves six cutting-edge bridge layers capable of transporting, deploying, and retrieving Leguan bridges of varying lengths. The total value of this procurement, excluding value-added tax, is estimated at approximately 23.6 million euros, with an anticipated employment impact in Finland of around 70 person-years.
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Leopard 2L bridgelaying tank on display during Finnish Defence Forces 2014 Flag day in Lappeenranta Rakuunanmäki (Picture source: Wikimedia)

These bridge-laying vehicles will be custom-built by Patria, utilizing the Leopard 2A4 main battle tank chassis of the Finnish Defence Forces. Patria carried out a bridge system project in 2004 – 2008 and delivered six bridge-laying tanks and nine bridge-laying vehicles. This authorization will increase the amount of those tanks and update the current equipment.

Jussi Järvinen, Executive Vice President for Finland Division at Patria, expresses, "The agreement further solidifies Patria's standing within the Finnish defense industry, reinforcing our position as the primary provider of system integrations and heavy engineer corps equipment for the Finnish Defence Forces."

This agreement marks the third consecutive delivery of Leopard 2L bridge layers by Patria, following previous projects completed in 2005-2008 and 2018-2022. The new bridge layers are scheduled for delivery between 2026 and 2028, continuing to enhance the capabilities of the Finnish Defence Forces.

Defense News December 2023