Kongsberg and Patria, two Nordic defence companies from Norway and Finland respectively, signed an agreement in which the former will integrate its Protector Remote Weapon Station to the latter’s 6×6 armoured vehicle, also known as the Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS).
Under a contract that amounts to Nkr1.2bn ($88.15m), Kongsberg will deliver the Protector systems from 2025 and well into the 2030s.
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Protector is designed for harsh environments, with capabilities that allow soldiers to operate from a protected position using stabilised precision optics and laser to observe and detect targets. Kongsberg has already delivered 20,000 units to 28 different countries.
It has an unprecedented operational readiness rate of 99% and low life cycle costs. Several types of cooled and uncooled Thermal Imagers, day cameras, weapons and anti-tank guided missiles can be integrated based on customer requirements.
Meanwhile, Patria’s CAVS is a 6×6 armoured, wheeled personnel carrier that succeeds Patria XA-series 6×6 Pasi, which was introduced in the 1980s.
In early 2020, Finland, Latvia and Estonia formed a collaborative programme to jointly develop a CAVS, with Germany and Sweden joining last year.
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By GlobalDataRecently, Finland purchased 91 CAVS and took up the opportunity for an additional 40 units, while just last week Sweden ordered 321 vehicles.
Kongsberg will stand to benefit from the spike in CAVS procurement with this latest contract, however the Protector is platform-agnostic, which means it can also be fitted on both land and sea platforms.
Known as the Sea Protector in the naval domain, the system was designed to counter asymmetric threats and enhance overall ship protection. The sensor package includes a colour day camera, an infrared thermal night camera and a laser range finder.
Given the new methods of warfare demonstrated by Ukraine’s Armed Forces through its use of uncrewed systems on land and in the Black Sea, the Protector provides a proactive response to such an asymmetric advantage.
