Latvia has signed an agreement with the Spanish company “GDELS Santa Bárbara Sistemas” for the delivery of 42 ASCOD infantry battle vehicles to the National Armed Forces (NBS), which will cost EUR 373 million, the Ministry of Defence (AM) reports.
The agreement was signed by Major General Andis Dilāns, Deputy State Secretary for Security Affairs of the Ministry of Defence, and Alejandro Page Ernandes, Vice-President of the Spanish company GDELS Santa Bárbara Sistemas, in the presence of Minister of Defence Andris Sprūd.
Infantry battle vehicles come with NATO-standard level four armour, an automatic gun, anti-tank weapons, a machine gun and other advanced technology that will allow soldiers to see the battlefield. The combat vehicle has a crew of three soldiers and is capable of moving and airborne six soldiers in full combat gear.
The ministry points out that the procedure for purchasing infantry fighting vehicles was started at the beginning of 2023, choosing several potential suppliers as part of a thorough feasibility study. In the autumn of 2023, functional tests were carried out on vendor infantry fighting vehicle platforms to obtain data on the operational capabilities of the platforms.
After the functional tests, the NBS carried out an in-depth assessment of the results obtained in accordance with the operational needs of the armed forces.
According to the concept of national defence, the armed forces must develop capabilities by increasing firepower and distances, which prevents the opponent from freely operating in the air, at sea and on the ground. At the same time, anti-aircraft, coastguard and long-range missile artillery and drone capabilities need to be further developed, and infantry combat platforms need to be deployed.
Also, within the framework of the NATO capability development goals, the capability of infantry fighting vehicles is set as one of the priorities, and their implementation in Latvia will support the achievement of the NATO capability goals.
Sprūds confident that the contract for the purchase of new and modern infantry battle vehicles marks a new stage in the mechanization of the Land Forces of the Latvian Army. At the same time, this is a great event for the Latvian military industry, which will participate in the provision of new combat vehicles.
“We are grateful that our ASCOD infantry fighting vehicle has been recognized as the winner of the international competition by the Latvian National Armed Forces. We look forward to working with the Latvian defence industry to jointly strengthen Latvia’s military capabilities and deliver new vehicles to our customers,” said Ernandes.
The ASCOD base model infantry battle vehicles are already in use by the armed forces of Spain, Austria, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Philippines.