Latvia deepens Patria cooperation

The Latvian Ministry of Defence said on March 12th it had signed a contract with manufacturer Patria for the full-cycle maintenance of its armoured personnel carriers.

"On Wednesday, March 11th, the Ministry of Defence and the company "Patria" signed an agreement for the full-cycle maintenance and repair of 6x6 armored vehicles currently in the possession of the National Armed Forces and to be delivered in the future," said a Ministry release.

The agreement complements the existing 6x6 armored vehicle lifecycle management agreement signed in 2024 between Latvia, Finland and Patria, which was later joined by Sweden and Denmark, and combines all local and original equipment manufacturer maintenance services under one framework.

“This agreement improves Latvia’s long-term defense capabilities by combining the strength of local industry with the experience of Patria. The full-cycle maintenance contract guarantees Latvia that our armored personnel carriers will be ready for operation at any time and in any conditions, as the maintenance capacity of military vehicles will be increased at the local level.

This means that we are developing the competence and infrastructure of domestic specialists, which is critically important for ensuring continuous maintenance of equipment and security of supplies not only in peacetime, but also in conditions of potential threats and crises,” said Minister of Defence Andris Sprūds.

The signed agreement defines maintenance processes, responsibilities, services and products specifically tailored to Latvia's needs, ensuring the long-term operational readiness of the 6x6 systems. 

As previously reported, in 2021, Latvia signed a general agreement for the purchase of Patria 6x6 armored vehicles, which included an order for more than 200 armored personnel carriers, within the framework of the intergovernmental cooperation program between Finland, Latvia, Sweden and Germany.

In parallel, together with partner countries, the Ministry of Defence and the National Armed Forces continued cooperation within the framework of the research and development program for the Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS), including the development of a joint command and control platform.

The development and design work on the platform was completed in the summer of 2024, which allowed the Ministry of Defence, in addition to the purchase of armored personnel carriers, to supplement Latvia's order with 56 command and control armored vehicles.