Latvia selects Ascod infantry fighting vehicle for its land forces

WARSAW, Poland — The Latvian Ministry of Defence has selected the Ascod infantry fighting vehicle for the country’s armed forces, and officials expect procurement negotiations with manufacturer GDELS-Santa Bárbara Sistemas to conclude by the end of this year or early next.

In a statement, Latvian Defense Minister Andris Sprūds said the tracked vehicle will bolster the operational capacities of the Baltic state’s military.

“Experts from the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces have conducted a thorough analysis to select the combat vehicles that are most suitable for our needs,” Sprūds said.

The minister did not disclose the number of vehicles to be purchased nor the estimated value of the planned contract. However, a spokesperson for the Defence Ministry told Defense News the country aims to spend around €250 million (US$265 million) on new fighting vehicles.

“Latvia’s Ministry of Defence is planning to purchase new infantry fighting vehicles to increase the mobility, protection level and firepower of the Land Forces,” the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, the Latvian ministry is also advancing other acquisitions for the country’s military. For example, Riga is planning to buy wheeled, self-propelled howitzers, according to the spokesperson.

Based in Spain, GDELS-Santa Bárbara Sistemas is part of General Dynamics European Land Systems.

Ascod vehicles “are currently operated by the armed forces of Spain, Austria, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Philippines,” the Latvian ministry said.

Jaroslaw Adamowski is the Poland correspondent for Defense News.

波兰华沙——拉脱维亚国防部已选定阿斯科德步兵战车作为该国武装部队的装备，官员们预计与制造商 GDELS-Santa Bárbara Sistemas 的采购谈判将于今年年底或明年初完成。

拉脱维亚国防部长安德里斯·斯普鲁兹在一份声明中表示，这款履带式车辆将增强这个波罗的海国家军队的作战能力。

“国防部和武装部队的专家进行了彻底的分析，以选择最适合我们需求的作战车辆，”斯普鲁兹说。

部长并未透露拟购车辆的数量，也未透露计划合同的预计金额。不过，国防部发言人告诉《防务新闻》，该国计划斥资约2.5亿欧元（约合2.65亿美元）用于采购新型战车。

“拉脱维亚国防部计划采购新型步兵战车，以提高陆军的机动性、防护水平和火力，”发言人说。

与此同时，拉脱维亚国防部也在推进其他军备采购项目。例如，据发言人称，里加计划购买轮式自行榴弹炮。

GDELS-Santa Bárbara Sistemas 总部位于西班牙，是通用动力欧洲陆地系统公司的一部分。

拉脱维亚国防部表示，Ascod 车辆“目前由西班牙、奥地利、英国、美国和菲律宾的武装部队使用”。

Jaroslaw Adamowski 是《防务新闻》驻波兰记者。