Latest news with #CV90
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
The CV90 is a great vehicle, so why doesn't the US buy it?
The U.S. military has a long history of developing vehicles it never actually fields. The Army's Future Combat Systems died on the vine. The Ground Combat Vehicle was canceled before production. The Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle program has been stopped and started more times than most troops will change duty stations in a career. And of course, the M10 Booker, the not-light-tank the Army had to have, was killed off after about 80 were delivered. It is no wonder that whenever we cover the topic of U.S. vehicles on our YouTube channel, the comments are flooded with the same question: 'Why doesn't the U.S. just buy the CV90?' That is a valid query. The CV90 is a proven infantry fighting vehicle used by several NATO allies. It is modular, combat-tested and recently underwent a significant upgrade. So why can't the Pentagon stop with the seemingly endless programs that never actually produce a viable vehicle and just buy the Swedish CV90? The answer has little to do with whether the vehicle is any good and a lot to do with how the U.S. buys weapons, what it prioritizes in doctrine, and how the military-industrial complex operates. The CV90 was developed in the 1980s by Sweden's Hägglunds, now part of BAE Systems. It was designed with fighting the Soviet Union in mind to be fast, survivable and capable in a variety of terrains. Since entering service in 1994, it's become one of the most widely adopted infantry fighting vehicles in NATO. It comes in multiple variants, ranging from the traditional infantry fighting vehicle with an autocannon on it to command and control, mortar carrier, reconnaissance models, and many more, depending on the customer's requirements. The CV90 even comes with a variety of main weapons, starting at 30mm and going all the way up to 120mm. On paper, it checks a lot of boxes on the Pentagon's wishlist for an armored vehicle. So why not just buy it and move on? The most unsexy answer: money and politics. The Pentagon doesn't just buy vehicles, it buys programs. Those multi-billion dollar contracts aren't just for tanks or jets, they are for replacement parts, depot maintenance, technical manuals, training curriculum, simulators, everything necessary to keep a weapon functioning. This translates into jobs and decades of sustainment work. Buying the CV90 off the shelf would mean outsourcing production and all those program benefits to Europe. The U.S. could license the design to be built here in the United States, like we do with the UH-72 Lakota helicopters, but that would require significant investment into a weapon we don't have control over. Doctrine must also be considered. When the Pentagon buys a new weapon, it usually builds the vehicle around current doctrine, not the other way around. For instance, U.S. armored formations are built around combined arms maneuver. Bradleys are designed to fight alongside Abrams tanks, supported by artillery, drones and airpower, all feeding into a massive command-and-control network. That network assumes certain levels of system cooperation, speed, and firepower that aren't always a perfect match with off-the-shelf foreign vehicles, no matter how good they are. This brings us to the issue of interoperability with U.S. systems. The CV90 is built around NATO standards, but the U.S. military often takes that a step further with its own encrypted communications suites, battlefield management systems, Blue Force Tracker integration, electronic warfare and signals intelligence kits, and remote weapon stations that are all custom-fitted to American platforms. Retrofitting those systems into a CV90 isn't impossible — it's just time-consuming, expensive, and requires creating a new U.S.-only variant. At that point, you might as well be developing a new vehicle from scratch. Finally, we can't forget that the Bradley does exist and its capabilities overlap heavily with the CV90. Military planners aren't going to buy a foreign system that is very similar to the domestic one they already have hundreds of. In the latest YouTube video, we go over these reasons and many more that apply not just to the CV90, but other foreign weapon platforms that we admire, but will never purchase. Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps learns an old lesson: Don't mess with Audie Murphy A breakdown of safety procedures 'directly contributed' to an 82nd Airborne paratrooper's death WWII Marine Raider who fought at Iwo Jima, Guadalcanal wants cards for 100th birthday Navy identifies special warfare sailor killed while parachuting Pentagon appears to pause renaming of Navy ships
Straits Times
22-04-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Sweden eyes purchase of combat vehicles with Norway, Lithuania, Finland
FILE PHOTO: Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announces an increase in defence spending with 300 billion kronor ($30 billion) over the next decade, during a press conference in Stockholm, Sweden, March 26, Gow/TT News Agency/via REUTERS/File Photo STOCKHOLM - Sweden, Lithuania, Norway and Finland are considering a coordinated acquisition of hundreds of CV90 infantry combat vehicles made by BAE Systems, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Tuesday. The four countries are now drafting a statement of intent on cooperation for a purchase of the military vehicles, Kristersson told a joint press conference with his Lithuanian counterpart Gintautas Paluckas. Countries in the Nordic and Baltic region, five of which border Russia, are sharply raising defence spending due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and U.S. demands that European NATO members take on more responsibility for their own security. "We haven't made all the decisions yet, but the faster we make the decisions, the faster they could be delivered as well to national armed forces," Kristersson said. "We are at least discussing several hundreds of vehicles and they are quite costly," he added. The CV90 is produced by a Sweden-based subsidiary of Britain's BAE Systems, Europe's biggest defence company. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Reuters
22-04-2025
- Automotive
- Reuters
Sweden eyes purchase of military vehicles with, Norway, Lithuania, Finland
STOCKHOLM, April 22 (Reuters) - Sweden, Lithuania, Norway and Finland are looking into making a coordinated acquisition of BAE Systems' (BAES.L), opens new tab CV90 infantry combat vehicle, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Tuesday. Kristersson told a joint press conference with his Lithuanian counterpart Gintautas Paluckas that the countries discussed buying "several hundred" CV90s, and that a statement of intent on cooperation for the vehicles was being drafted. The CV90 is produced by a Sweden-based subsidiary of Britain's BAE Systems, Europe's biggest defence company.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Prediction: 12 months from now, the BAE share price could turn £5,000 into…
With most stocks taking a tumble in recent weeks, the BAE Systems (LSE:BA.) share price seems to be an exception. The British aerospace and defence business has seen its valuation surge by over 35% since 2025 kicked off. And looking at the latest analyst forecasts, this upward trajectory could continue over the next 12 months. Just over half the institutional analysts following this enterprise currently have a Buy or Outperform recommendation on BAE shares. And it's not exactly difficult to see why. Amid growing geopolitical tensions worldwide, the company posted a record order backlog valued at £77.8bn – an £8bn increase versus 2023. This was predominantly driven by renewed demand for its Hunter Class frigates in Australia, CV90 combat vehicles in Denmark and Sweden, along with 25 and 24 new Typhoon aircraft orders for the Spanish and Italian Air Forces respectively. Combined, this surge in orders translated into a 14% boost in revenue and underlying operating profits. Free cash flow did underperform by comparison, coming in essentially flat year-on-year at £2.5bn. However, that's still significantly larger than the £1.5bn management was aiming for courtesy of higher-than-expected customer advanced payments paired with 'strong operational cash conversion'. What's more, demand's expected to continue growing as Europe begins to ramp up its defence spending. So with all that in mind, it's not entirely surprising that one analyst expected the BAE Systems share price to rise to as high as 2,450p over the next 12 months. That's a 58% potential increase from today's valuation, suggesting that a £5,000 initial investment could grow to £7,903 by this time next year. The prospect of making just over £2,900 over the next year is understandably exciting. However, it's important to remember that forecasts aren't set in stone. Furthermore, this outlook's the most optimistic among analysts. And when taking the average of all current projections, the BAE share price is expected to reach just 1,540p. That's roughly in line with where shares are trading right now. This implies that all the expected growth from higher EU spending and order growth has already been baked into the stock price. Another risk that seems to be going ignored is the potential for a cut to the US defence budget. Suppose Europe is more capable of defending itself. In that case, America may be able to achieve some cost savings within the military to fund proposed tax cuts as well as pay down the national debt. And with almost half of BAE's revenue stream coming from across the pond, growth could stall as defence spending redistributes from one country to another. Nevertheless, BAE's substantial order book should keep it busy for many years to come. And even at current levels, the valuation on a forward price-to-earnings basis is a fairly reasonable 21, behind the European industry average of 25.8. As such, while investors aren't getting a massive bargain, BAE shares could merit further research by those seeking exposure to the aerospace and defence industry. The post Prediction: 12 months from now, the BAE share price could turn £5,000 into… appeared first on The Motley Fool UK. More reading 5 Stocks For Trying To Build Wealth After 50 One Top Growth Stock from the Motley Fool Zaven Boyrazian has no position in any of the shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has recommended BAE Systems. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. Motley Fool UK 2025 Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sweden unveils its largest military aid package for Ukraine worth nearly $1.6 billion
Sweden will provide Ukraine with a military aid package worth almost $1.6 billion, Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson announced on March 31. The latest package is Sweden's largest tranche of military assistance since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, according to Jonson. "The package includes, among other things, support for Ukraine's air defense, artillery, satellite communications, and maritime capacity," the minister said on X. With this package, Sweden's support to Ukraine since 2022 amounts to 80 billion Swedish kronor ($8 billion), the country's government said. This assistance has included Archer self-propelled howitzers, Strv 122 tanks, and CV90 infantry fighting vehicles. The latest package includes $912 million worth of equipment that will be procured from the Swedish defense industry and delivered to Ukraine in the span of "about 0-24 months." It also encompasses a $465 million donation to international multilateral initiatives, the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, and purchases from the Ukrainian defense industry. Kyiv will further receive material and spare parts from the Swedish Armed Forces worth about $93 million, including m/58 machine guns, ammunition, roughly 100 vehicles of various types for air base maintenance, and other support. Stockholm is also allocating $46 million for an export guarantee to supplement procurement for donations to Ukraine, ensuring more Swedish companies can support Kyiv by providing requested material. Finally, the Swedish Defense Materiel Administration, a state military procurement agency, "will also be tasked with identifying, testing and funding military solutions from small tech companies that need to be verified or scaled up for military purposes in Ukraine," Jonson said. The package comes as European countries seek to bolster support for Ukraine as future backing from the U.S., the leading military donor, grows increasingly uncertain under President Donald Trump. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Putin will have nothing to say at peace negotiations, Zelensky says We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
