Sweden for Ukraine: 50 CV90 IFV, 155-mm Archer self-propelled guns and NLAW in addition
The Swedish government announced a new package of military aid to Ukraine, which will include 50 CV90 infantry fighting vehicles, an as yet undisclosed number of 155-mm Archer self-propelled guns and MBT LAW / NLAW ATGM. This is reported by Reuters. The total cost of the aid package is SEK 4.3 billion ($419 million).
“Military support for Ukraine is absolutely critical,” Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said at a press conference. “Ukraine’s wishes in terms of what they want carry a lot of weight in our decision.”
The possibility of Sweden providing the most modern Archer self-propelled guns was discussed back in September 2022. In November, the army of Sweden received the last of the ordered, the 48th self-propelled gun of this type. In October 2022, the Swedish Ministry of Defense analyzed the available reserves and it became known that Sweden can allocate as many as 12 Archer Artillery Systems to Ukraine! Let’s hope that the new aid package includes exactly that number of these high-quality self-propelled guns.
As for CV90 BMPs, there are 354 such IFVs in the Ground Forces of the Swedish Army, so the allocation of 50 vehicles to Ukraine should not weaken the country’s defense capability.
CV90, or Combat Vehicle 90, is a family of tracked combat vehicles created by Hägglunds/Bofors in the late 80s and early 90s of the last century. The most common version has a small turret with a Bofors 40mm autocannon or a Bushmaster 35mm autocannon and looks almost like a light tank. The CV90 is designed specifically for the Scandinavian sub-arctic climate, so it has very good maneuverability in snow and wet terrain.
The CV90 has a crew of 3 and can accommodate up to 8 passengers. The armor consists of ceramic application armor, which should protect against projectiles with a caliber of up to 30 mm.
Since 1993, around 1,280 CV90s of various versions have been built. The main operators are Sweden and all its neighbors: Denmark, Estonia, the Netherlands, Norway, Finland. Plus Switzerland.
Thank you very much, Sweden! AFU will find a good way to use this equipment!
Technical specifications
Weight – 23–37 t (modifications Mk0 – Mk IV)
Length – 6.55 m
Width – 3.1 m
Height – 2.7 m
Crew – 3 (commander, gunner, driver)
Passengers – 7-8 soldiers
Armament – Bofors 40 mm automatic gun L/70 or Bushmaster 35 mm automatic gun L/50 (export models MkIII and MkIV); Bushmaster 30mm automatic gun L/40 (MkI and MkII export models)
Secondary armament – 7.62-mm Ksp m/39 machine gun, 6 × 76 mm grenade launchers
Engine – Scania DS14 I6 14 l diesel or DC16 V8 16 l diesel
Power – 550 – 1000 hp. (410 – 745 kW)
Operational range – 320 km
Maximum speed – 70 km/h