KNDS launches Patria 6x6 production for Bundeswehr — LSM English

In Germany, KNDS Deutschland is launching production of Patria 6x6 wheeled armored vehicles for the Bundeswehr at its facility in Freisen. The company plans to deliver the first vehicles at the end of 2026, LSM English reports.

Nearly 900 vehicles for the Bundeswehr

The German army's initial order covers nearly 900 armored vehicles in four configurations. Its value is about €2 billion. This is the largest single contract in the history of the Finnish company Patria, concluded under the multinational Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS) program.

Initially, the vehicles will be produced in Finland and Latvia, fitted with specialized components for the German army, and undergo final assembly at a plant in Saarland. Serial deliveries to the Bundeswehr are expected to begin in early 2027. By the end of the same year, the first vehicle fully manufactured in Freisen is planned to be delivered.

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Replacing Fuchs armored personnel carriers

Patria is cooperating with KNDS and other German industrial partners to establish local production capacity by combining German and Finnish engineering expertise. The first pre-series Patria 6x6 vehicles have already been delivered for testing, operator training, familiarization with maintenance, and technical inspection.

The three-axle armored vehicles are intended to replace Germany's Fuchs armored personnel carriers, which have been in service since the early 1980s. The use of the Patria platform is expected to support Germany's goal of achieving full combat readiness by 2029.

The CAVS program was launched by Finland and Latvia in 2020. Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Germany, and the United Kingdom later joined it. Vehicles produced under the program are already also being used in Ukraine as part of Latvian military aid.