British military to receive 60 all-terrain armoured vehicles
Image courtesy BAE Systems
Under the international Collaborative All-Terrain Vehicle (CATV) programme – including Sweden and Germany - the UK Commando Force will receive 60 Future All-Terrain Vehicles (FATV) starting from February 2025, under a £140 million contract.
The deal will see a total of 436 of the vehicles delivered by BAE Systems across the three European partners, with the engines for all FATVs produced by Cummins in Darlington.
The vehicles will be used by the Navy’s Littoral Response Groups – bespoke, highly-mobile amphibious task groups designed to react to crises in regions strategically important to the UK.
Capable of operating in the harshest weather conditions and most remote environments, the amphibious, multi-role, armoured vehicle will include variants of vehicles for troop transport, logistics, medical evacuation, recovery and command and control.
Defence Procurement Minister, Alex Chalk said: "We continue to equip our Armed Forces with the most mobile and resilient capabilities, to support them in operations around the world and Future All-Terrain Vehicles for the Royal Navy are another example of this.
"This tri-lateral agreement with Sweden and Germany serves to strengthen key alliances and improve interoperability."
Working alongside our European and Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) Arctic partners in the High North, FATVs will be in-service until 2058, replacing the BV206 tracked and older BvS 10 ‘Viking’ models. Their articulated mobility systems provide optimal manoeuvrability across varying terrains so they can traverse snow, ice, rock, sand, mud or swamps, as well as steep mountain environments. The vehicles’ amphibious feature also allows them to swim in flooded areas or coastal waters and a logistics variant can carry six tonnes of equipment.
Brigadier Mark Totten, Navy Deputy Director Acquisition, said: "The signing of the CATV contract is great news for UK Defence and for Commando Forces. This is a unique capability - fundamental for Commando Forces that are expert in operating in the extreme cold weather and across the littoral. The vehicle boasts a number of characteristics that make it perfect for the Future Commando Force: it is adept over snow, has amphibious swimming capability and protects its occupants from several threats.
"Progressing to contract is a clear statement of the UK’s strong commitment to High North and to working alongside our NATO and JEF partners."
The three-nation acquisition will deliver the 436 vehicles beginning in 2024, with 236 BvS10s going to the Swedish Defense Materiel Administration (FMV), 140 to the German Federal Ministry of Defence (BAAINBw) and 60 to UK MoD. The vehicles are based on the latest version of the BvS10 currently operated by Sweden.
The CATV programme includes a framework agreement that could lead to the purchase of more vehicles by the three nations, keeping the BvS10 in production for many years to come. Sweden is the lead nation and has established a joint procurement office to lead the effort with representatives from all three nations.
Tommy Gustafsson-Rask, managing director of BAE Systems Hägglunds, which manufactures the vehicles in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden, said: “We‘re seeing increased interest from numerous countries for the extreme mobility capabilities offered by the BvS10 and its unarmoured sister vehicle, Beowulf.
“Sweden, Germany and the United Kingdom will be getting an excellent return on their investment in these highly capable vehicles for decades to come. This further demonstrates the strong relationship between BAE Systems and our customers to deliver these critical capabilities.”
The FATV has a front cabin to accommodate the driver with three fully equipped marines and a rear cabin which can carry eight fully equipped marines or be fitted for a variety of different purposes including short range air defence.
The new Vikings will most often see action as part of the Royal Navy’s amphibious task groups (Littoral Response Groups), which deploy to areas of strategic importance ready to react to security or humanitarian crises.
