Slovakia - CV90 Mark IV
Like the Czech Republic, Slovakia is the successor to Czechoslovakia. The Slovak army also inherited the old BMP-1 and BMP-2 and their reconnaissance versions (a total of several hundred vehicles), of which about 470 vehicles survived to 2020 (most of the BVP-1 is stored). A small number of them were upgraded to the BVP-M standard (17 vehicles with TURRA 30 turret from EVPÚ) or BPsVI (18 modernized combat reconnaissance vehicles BPzV Svatava).
A much more advanced variant of the BMP-2 modernization was also introduced - the BVP-M2 SKCZ Šakal vehicle presented at the IDET 2013 exhibition was developed on the initiative of three companies: VOP Trencín, EVPÚ and Excalibur Army. The armor protection increased to level 4 according to the STANAG 4569 standard (although the resistance to mine explosion remained unsatisfactory) and the increase in firepower was achieved by installing the TURRA 30 turret with a modern fire control system. These changes led to an increase in weight of up to 18 tons, which was offset by a new engine with 36% more power and a modernized transmission - mobility even increased slightly. In addition, many systems were replaced: communications, electronic devices, rear two-part doors were replaced by a ramp with small doors, etc. Despite the high evaluation of the modernization package, it turned out to be too expensive for the modest budget of the Slovak Ministry of Defense.
SVK MOD and Armed Forces specialists evaluated a number of 4x4 and 8x8 combat vehicles, with a particular focus on their military, technical and economic parameters. As part of specialist consultations, working meetings with representatives of the manufacturers were held to analyse and to assess the data. As a result, for example, it has turned out that the financial costs of the 8x8 vehicles procurement project are realistic and amount to some €417 million, including VAT, for a fleet of 81 vehicles, which is fully in conformity with a document approved by the SVK Government in May 2017.
Slovakia eventually rejected the offer for 30 KBVP (and probably another 90 in the future), perhaps for political reasons. The choice of the Slovak Ministry of Defense settled on the Patria AMV with the TURRA 30 turret for 417 million euros.
With the procurement of Vydra 8x8 IFVs in line with the Long Term Defence Development Plan, the MOD sought meet the operational requirements of the SVK Armed Forces to a full extent, while taking account of the vehicle's required ballistic protection level, firepower, mobility and swimming capability.
“The capabilities required for the vehicle have been verified and confirmed in several types of trials,” said Chief of Defence Lt Gen Daniel Zmeko 22 October 2018. Should there be a requirement to increase the level of ballistic protection on the vehicle, he added, this solution is technically feasible. “If that is the case, our planners reckon with the vehicle's limited mobility in clearing water obstacles. This planning assumption is understandable, because today there is no such vehicle whose ballistic protection would be Level 4and above in a required configuration that could swim across water obstacles. The system of enhancing the ballistic protection of vehicles by fitting additional armour is a worldwide trend, one which improves the flexibility of the vehicle in terms of its operational use and saves resources markedly,” he said.
According to his own words, among the many crucial steps ahead is, above all, the vehicle's advanced anti-tank guided weapon system and fully interoperable communications and information system, including the ability to transfer classified information up to NATO Secret.
The purchase was controversial, as the Otter could only hold a team of seven people (instead of eight to nine people, as the Slovaks demanded) and the reserve carrying capacity was considered small. In addition, Vydra was assessed in the Slovak Defense Review 2020 ( Revision of Defense Expenditures ) as weakly armored (which, however, does not apply to other heavier KBVPs). Therefore, the purchase of Vydra vehicles was canceled.
The Minister of Defense of the Slovak Republic, Jaroslav Nad, on 29 April 2020 during a press conference together with the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic, Gen. Daniel Zmek presented the further progress of the Ministry of Defense in modernization projects of 8x8 armored combat vehicles, The 8x8 armored vehicles project was considered by the head of the Ministry of Defense to be a manual for non-transparency, which, moreover, is not in line with the Slovak Republic's commitments to NATO to build a heavy mechanized brigade. Due to this, he decided not to continue this project for now."We will intensively discuss the future commitments of the Ministry of Defense to international partners within the so-called eligibility objectives. The future of the BOV 8x8 project will also depend on the results of these negotiations. However, we will certainly not procure something that is not in line with our commitments, " he said. Should it be decided on the basis of negotiations to continue the 8x8 combat armored vehicles project, there will be a significant reassessment of the number of vehicles and proper procurement, including subcontractors. "No so-called inhaus contracts for "our" company and circumvention of public procurement. This period is over, " the minister emphasized.
The purchase of an 8 × 8 Otter BOV (combat armored vehicle) will be replaced by the purchase or modernization of a tracked BVP in a quantity of at least 164 pieces. The process of obtaining BVP will begin in 2021. By 2030, Slovakia will allocate at least 450 million euros for this purpose (the total value of the contract is estimated at 871 to 1500 million euros). The belt BVP will head to the 1st Mechanized Brigade of the 1st BZ (specifically to the 11th, 12th and 13th Battalions; each 51 pieces; the other nine will receive a tank battalion) and to the Logistics Brigade (two pieces in the Logistics Battalion).
On 28 June 2022 the Slovak Government signed off on the decision to procure 152 BAE Systems Hägglunds Combat Vehicle 90 Mark IV (CV90 MkIV) armed with a 35mm cannon as its preferred tracked infantry fighting vehicle through a government-to-government (G2G) agreement with the Kingdom of Sweden. The CV90 MkIV platforms are intended to replace the Slovak Army's fleet of half-a-century-old tracked IFVs. Key to securing Slovakia's defences, the tracked and wheeled armoured capabilities represent the most significant step towards forming a heavy mechanised brigade, which Slovakia has committed to under its 2017 NATO Capability Targets.
Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad said: “I am very grateful to my colleagues for their unambiguous support for the choice that has, to the maximum extent possible, met the requirements of the Slovak Armed Forces, the set financial limits including the vehicle's overall price, logistics support, operational costs, and the criteria for SVK defence industry content. The prime contractor for the tracked armoured capability programme is state-owned company ZTS – ŠPECIÁL. Dozens of Slovak state-owned and private businesses will benefit from the project over the long term.”
The Cabinet agreed with the comprehensive offers in the order in which they were presented by the Minister of Defence. Based on the results published in the MOD's Feasibility Study Report, the SVK Ministry of Defence recommended the two variants of the Swedish-made CV90 mounted on the MkIV chassis – one armed with a 35mm cannon and the other one with a 30mm cannon – in the first and second place. These choices were followed by Hungary's LYNX KF41 in the third place and Spain's ASCOD in the fourth place.
A 60-strong project team of experts from the MOD and the Slovak Armed Forces judged the merits of the offers against all evaluation criteria. Additionally, experts of the Ministry of Economy were invited to co-assess some aspects of the offers. Subsequently, the MOD's proposal was subject to preliminary and interdepartmental consultations before being submitted to the Ministry of Finance's Value for Money Unit.
The next step will be to draft an intergovernmental agreement between Slovakia and Sweden to finalise the G2G Agreement between the Government of the Slovak Republic and the Government of the Kingdom of Sweden on the Delivery of the Tracked Armoured Capability and the Implementation Agreement. In this context, the advantages of G2G arrangements include a substantially enhanced guarantee for the delivery of all vehicles under procurement and opportunities to strengthen military cooperation and deepen strategic partnerships.
The SVK Ministry of Defence has budgeted an estimated EUR1.688bn (incl. VAT) to procure the tracked armoured fighting vehicles. This figure also includes the projected infrastructure costs.
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