The Netherlands have agreed to the delivery of additional CV90 infantry fighting vehicles with a contract value of 1.3 billion euros with the manufacturer BAE Systems Hägglunds. This was disclosed to Parliament in The Hague by Secretary of State for Defence Derk Boswijk. The vehicles are to equip a new mechanized infantry battalion in the 13th Light Brigade of the Dutch Army. The contract scope also includes spare parts, tools, ammunition and communications equipment. The procurement is being carried out within the framework of the multinational Nordic Initiative decided in November, under Swedish leadership, in which Finland, Lithuania, Norway and Ukraine also participate.
Sweden alone intends to replace a large part of its existing stock of nearly 500 CV9040s and support variants with the CV9035, which is also operated by the Netherlands. This apparently serves to standardize Europe, after Sweden and Denmark had previously jointly ordered 50 and 115 vehicles with the 35-mm autocannon Bushmaster III. These still corresponded to the Mk IIIC version of the infantry fighting vehicle, onto which the current Dutch vehicles are being modernized. The new CV90 “Nordic Edition” of the joint program is intended to meet the latest Mk IV standard.
Nederlandse CV9035’s are currently being modernized
The Netherlands will largely adopt this version with only minor modifications, for example in IT systems. 122 of the current CV9035NL and six driving-school vehicles will, through at least the end of 2026, undergo modernization for 410 million euros, including among other things the integration of the anti-tank guided missile Spike LR2 and an active protection system, as well as further changes to the turret to improve the reaction time to threats. For the remaining 19 vehicles of the active fleet, there is also an option; 15 from reserve stocks are to be rebuilt into Mjölner mortar carriers.
The Netherlands have also ordered 46 Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks (plus six options), in order to rebuild their own tank battalion by 2030. Nothing has yet been announced about its planned subordination. The armored forces of the Dutch Army are so far consolidated in the 43 Mechanized Brigade, which also commands the German-Dutch Tank Battalion 414 with a Dutch company on Leopard 2 A6M tanks leased from Germany. The 13 Light Brigade is currently a medium formation with two battalions on GTK Boxer. Since the Netherlands will also receive at least 106 wheeled armored personnel carriers “Jackal,” the future structure remains unclear.
