BAE Systems Hagglunds handed over the first of two pre-series upgraded CV9030 infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) to the Royal Norwegian Army on 25 February.
In total the company will provide the Royal Norwegian Army with 144 new and upgraded CV9030 series vehicles under a contract worth approximately GBP500 million (USD750 million).
The two pre-series vehicles will be put through extensive trials, before the main CV9030 production run begins in January 2015. Production for Norway will take place at BAE Systems Hagglunds' new CV90 production line in Sweden and should be completed in 2017, with a significant amount of final integration work taking place in Norway. Deliveries should be completed in 2018.
Shortly before the official handover Tommy Gustafsson-Rask, president of BAE Systems Hagglunds told IHS Jane's that "the Norwegian CV90 programme is on time and on budget and gives us a solid production base for several years".
Norway was the first CV90 export customer and by 2010 had taken delivery of 104 CV9030N vehicles; 103 remain in service.
The latest Norwegian CV9030s are a mix of new build and upgraded vehicles and include improvements as a result of combat experience with the vehicle deployed in Afghanistan by Denmark, Norway and Sweden (CV9040).
The vehicles feature a high level of protection against a wide range of threats including mines and improvised explosive devices and a modular ballistic protection system. It also features a digital electronic architecture and cameras for 360 degree situational awareness and four crew stations. Production vehicles will be fitted with Soucy rubber band tracks as standard, although the first pre-series vehicle is not.
Norway is taking delivery of 74 IFV variants (known as SPVs in Norwegian service), 21 reconnaissance vehicles with a mast-mounted surveillance package (OPVs), 15 command post vehicles (STRILDs), 16 engineer vehicles (STINGs), 16 multirole vehicles (MULTICs) and two driver training vehicles with a special cab.
The MRV can be rapidly reconfigured for different roles including logistic support and mortar platform.
The IFV, command and reconnaissance vehicles are being fitted with an upgraded Mk I two person turret armed with an ATK Armament Systems 30 mm cannon and a 7.62 mm co-axial machine gun (MG).
The IFV, reconnaissance and command models feature a new Mk III hull with the other versions based on re-worked Mk I hulls.
All of the 30 mm turret versions will have a Norwegian Kongsberg remote weapon station (RWS) on the roof armed with a 0.50 cal M2 HB MG.This can also be used as a sighting system in the hunter killer mode and can also be operated from the rear troop compartment. This RWS is also fitted to the MRV variant.
The new CV90 production line has a current capacity of 35 units a year, but this can be increased.
The company expects a contract to regenerate older Swedish Army CV9040 IFVs in the second half of this year and has bids in for new production vehicles for Denmark, which evaluated five tracked and wheeled vehicles last year. There are at least two other current potential CV90 export customers.
