A prototype of the new six-wheel armored car has been delivered to Latvia. Yesterday, Neatkarīgā also had the opportunity to ride in it as passengers. Jānis Garisons, State Secretary of the Ministry of Defense, took the wheel. The machine is designed to be as simple as possible to operate. Put it in drive and carry ten infantry units to the fight.
The car was manufactured in Finland, in the company Patria Land Oy, and a little bit in Latvia. That was also the point of the idea. Buying not just an armored car that can only be cared for by an authorized dealer somewhere far abroad, but also the amount of knowledge and skills needed to get the local industry involved. For all repairs and partly also construction to take place in Latvia. Initially, Estonia was also involved in the armored car project, but it withdrew halfway to the prototype. Seemingly because the Finns were reluctant to grant exclusive copyright to the jointly developed armored car. However, Estonians were also interested in a relatively small number - only 20. In addition, they have purchased a large number of used old model armored vehicles of the same brand, the management of which is a sufficient burden on the defense budget.
For now, this is just a joint project of Finland and Latvia, in which other countries are invited to join as well, but they are still waiting and watching what will be produced in the end. Of course, customers are also watching. If the Latvian Armed Forces like it, and it looks like they will, the Latvian Army will have 300 Patria armored vehicles at its disposal in about ten years, and it is important that the National Guard units will also be equipped with them. This was promised by the Minister of Defense Artis Pabriks. In each battalion, at least one company will have such a car. And the prototype of this car really looks like it will be as easy to use as possible. A short briefing and anyone can drive it. There is no rocket science here. Spacious iron box on six wheels, all three axles are towing, automatic transmission. Good visibility. Large hatches that allow soldiers to deftly jump in and out. Two propellers at the rear, as the machine can also move in the water.
Depending on the purpose of use, the machine can be assembled in different ways - thinner armor for less weight, thicker - for greater safety. It can serve as an infantry transport, equipped with a mortar, it can be a command center, it can also be a medical transport. Everything can be customized. Riding in the cockpit is relatively comfortable. Infantry backpacks can be stacked behind the seats. The screen shows where the machine is driving. It feels like being on a ship. It is important that this ship can approach as close as possible to the battlefield, which is not possible with unarmored transport. In the presentation of the prototype, a small demonstration was carried out to demonstrate its capabilities. Four infantries were walking through the area. The enemy opened fire. Leading infantry summoned auxiliary forces and they arrived in a Patria 6x6 armored car. The unit landed, went to fight, while the machine gun from the armored vehicle provided close support. The enemy is dead.
The presentation was also attended by Finnish government officials and the company's management said that this would be a very profitable deal for taxpayers, as the car has a low life cycle cost. Of course, the Finns are very interested in such a large order. In addition, if the new car will be good enough, other countries in our region will also want to buy it. The demonstration of the prototype is not yet a promise, because negotiations on specific models, specific equipment and - most importantly - price are still ahead. According to the Ministry of Defense, orders would be placed only on the condition that all requirements are met - price, security of supply and involvement of national industry, successful research and development phase. If these conditions are successfully met, the National Armed Forces might receive the first new armored vehicles by the end of 2021.
The Russian propaganda media have also noticed that the Latvian army is finally going to buy completely new armored vehicles. They called the prototype a coffin on six wheels. Apparently, the potential enemy does not like the fact that the Latvian Armed Forces, together with the allies, are increasing their combat capabilities.
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