Netherlands to supply first Dutch-built CV90 IFVs to Ukraine in 2026

PARIS — The Netherlands will deliver the first Dutch-built and financed BAE Systems CV90 infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine in 2026, the Dutch Ministry of Defence said.

The Dutch are investing €400 million (U.S. $430 million) in a Swedish fund to build the CV90s for Ukraine, the government said June 7. That amount is the Dutch share and will pay for “several tens” of vehicles, Netherlands Ministry of Defence spokesman Kaj Leers told Defense News in an emailed reply to questions.

The Dutch government also agreed with Sweden to set up CV90 production in the Netherlands, and expects to partly produce at least 180 of the vehicles, according to Leers. Negotiations are ongoing for local firm Van Halteren Technologies and a “whole chain” of Dutch suppliers to handle “an important part” of production, he said.

The Netherlands is joining an initiative by Denmark and Sweden to provide Ukraine’s armed forces with modern armor to fight off Russia’s invasion. The CV90 is “just what is needed at the front,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement in August on the occasion of a visit to Stockholm, and Ukrainian soldiers have reportedly praised the Swedish IFV for its armor, heat-signature reducing camouflage and firepower.

Sweden and Denmark signed a joint declaration in December to send additional CV90s to Ukraine, after an initial Swedish donation of 50 vehicles last year. Ukraine and Sweden in February discussed terms and conditions for purchasing more of the vehicles.

Van Halteren will play “an important role” in supplying dozens of new CV90s to Ukraine, Sweden and possibly Denmark, which are buying vehicles to the same modernized standard as the Netherlands, Dutch State Secretary for Defence Christophe van der Maat said in a video posted on X on Friday. The Defence Ministry together with the Economic Affairs Ministry and Van Halteren is looking how the Dutch CV90 production line can be scaled up further, according to Van der Maat.

“We want to really help the Dutch know-how contribute to the growing requirement for CV90 fighting vehicles in Europe,” Van der Maat said.

The Netherlands last week took delivery of the first of its CV90s that are part of a more than €660-million mid-life upgrade aimed at keeping the IFV operational through to 2039. The Dutch are upgrading 122 vehicles, with final delivery scheduled for 2027.

The midlife upgraded for the Royal Netherlands Army is being done by BAE Systems Hägglunds in cooperation with Van Halteren, and includes a new turret with improved networking and observational capabilities, such as an electronic-optical panoramic sight. The upgrade also adds the Spike anti-tank missile by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, and 90 vehicles will get the Iron Fist active protection system from Elbit Systems.

BAE Systems signed a contract with Sweden in May for new CV90s built to the Dutch upgrade standard to replace the vehicles donated to Ukraine. Slovakia and Czechia last year agreed to buy CV90s in deals totaling more than €3.5 billion. Leers declined to say whether the Netherlands expects to order additional new CV90s once local production has started.

The Dutch Ministry of Defence also declined to say whether the CV90s for Ukraine will be delivered with a cannon. The CV90s operated by the Dutch Army are equipped with a 35mm Bushmaster III auto-cannon, while Sweden operates a version of the CV90 equipped with a 40mm Bofors auto-cannon in a stabilized turret, which is the version first delivered to Ukraine.

Separately, the Netherlands said Tuesday it’s buying 120mm mortar systems from BAE Systems Hägglunds to mount on its CV90s, replacing the unmounted 81mm mortars currently in use with the Dutch army. The mortar systems will be installed on the vehicles after their mid-life upgrade, which should be completed in 2028. Sweden also uses the 120mm mortar on its CV90s, according to the Ministry of Defence.

The new mortars will have a range of 7 to 12 kilometers, compared with 6 kilometers for the current system, as well as a higher rate of fire, and can be operated from inside the vehicle, the ministry said. The goal is to increase accuracy by adding GPS-guided munition.

Rudy Ruitenberg is a Europe correspondent for Defense News. He started his career at Bloomberg News and has experience reporting on technology, commodity markets and politics.

巴黎——荷兰国防部表示，荷兰将于 2026 年向乌克兰交付首批由荷兰制造和出资的 BAE Systems CV90 步兵战车。

荷兰政府于6月7日表示，荷兰将向瑞典的一个基金投资4亿欧元（约合4.3亿美元），用于为乌克兰建造CV90装甲车。荷兰国防部发言人卡伊·利尔斯在回复《防务新闻》的电子邮件中表示，这笔款项是荷兰的份额，将用于购买“数十辆”装甲车。

据利尔斯透露，荷兰政府已与瑞典达成协议，将在荷兰设立CV90生产线，预计至少将部分生产180辆该型车辆。他还表示，目前正在与荷兰本土企业Van Halteren Technologies以及“一整条”荷兰供应商链进行谈判，以承接“重要部分”的生产工作。

荷兰正加入丹麦和瑞典发起的一项倡议，向乌克兰武装部队提供现代化装甲车辆，以抵御俄罗斯的入侵。乌克兰总统泽连斯基在8月访问斯德哥尔摩期间发表声明称，CV90“正是前线所需要的”。据报道，乌克兰士兵对这款瑞典步兵战车的装甲、热信号伪装和火力都给予了高度评价。

瑞典和丹麦于去年12月签署联合声明，同意向乌克兰增派CV90装甲车。此前，瑞典已于去年向乌克兰捐赠了50辆该型装甲车。今年2月，乌克兰和瑞典就购买更多车辆的条款和条件进行了磋商。

荷兰国防国务秘书克里斯托夫·范德马特周五在X网站上发布的一段视频中表示，范哈尔特伦公司将在向乌克兰、瑞典以及可能还有丹麦供应数十辆新型CV90装甲车方面发挥“重要作用”。这些国家采购的车辆将与荷兰的车辆采用相同的现代化标准。范德马特还表示，国防部正与经济事务部以及范哈尔特伦公司共同研究如何进一步扩大荷兰CV90的生产线规模。

“我们希望真正帮助荷兰的技术专长为欧洲日益增长的 CV90 战车需求做出贡献，”范德马特说。

上周，荷兰接收了首批CV90步兵战车，这是耗资超过6.6亿欧元的中期升级计划的一部分，旨在使该型步兵战车能够服役至2039年。荷兰正在升级122辆战车，最终交付计划于2027年完成。

荷兰皇家陆军的中期升级由BAE系统公司哈格隆德分部与范哈尔特伦公司合作完成，升级内容包括安装新型炮塔，该炮塔具备更强大的网络和观测能力，例如电子光学全景瞄准镜。此次升级还增加了拉斐尔先进防御系统公司的“长钉”（Spike）反坦克导弹，另有90辆车辆将配备埃尔比特系统公司的“铁拳”（Iron Fist）主动防护系统。

英国航空航天系统公司（BAE Systems）5月与瑞典签署合同，订购符合荷兰升级标准的新型CV90装甲车，以替换捐赠给乌克兰的车辆。斯洛伐克和捷克去年也同意购买CV90装甲车，总金额超过35亿欧元。莱尔斯拒绝透露荷兰是否计划在本地生产启动后订购更多新型CV90装甲车。

荷兰国防部也拒绝透露交付给乌克兰的CV90装甲车是否会配备火炮。荷兰陆军使用的CV90装甲车配备的是一门35毫米“大毒蛇III”型自动炮，而瑞典使用的CV90装甲车则配备了一门安装在稳定炮塔内的40毫米博福斯自动炮，这也是首批交付给乌克兰的版本。

另据报道，荷兰周二宣布将从BAE系统公司哈格隆分部采购120毫米迫击炮系统，用于装备其CV90装甲车，以替换目前荷兰军队使用的未安装的81毫米迫击炮。这些迫击炮系统将在车辆中期升级后安装，升级工作预计将于2028年完成。瑞典国防部表示，瑞典的CV90装甲车也装备了120毫米迫击炮。

国防部表示，新型迫击炮的射程将达到7至12公里，而现有系统的射程为6公里，射速也更高，并且可以在车辆内部进行操作。其目标是通过加装GPS制导弹药来提高精度。

鲁迪·鲁伊滕贝格是《防务新闻》的欧洲记者。他的职业生涯始于彭博新闻社，拥有报道科技、大宗商品市场和政治方面的经验。