UK And Norway Join CAVS Armoured Vehicle R&D Agreement
The United Kingdom and Norway have formally joined the multinational Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS) armoured vehicle research and development agreement led by Finland, marking an expansion of the 6×6 vehicle effort and strengthening European defence cooperation. The move makes Britain and Norway the sixth and seventh partners in the programme.
Short, shared defence projects like CAVS aim to cut costs, boost interoperability, and give partners access to a tested vehicle architecture developed around the Patria 6×6 platform.
What CAVS Is
The CAVS initiative centres on developing a common wheeled armoured vehicle system, with Patria of Finland as prime developer. It began in 2020 with Finland and Latvia and has steadily grown to include Sweden, Germany and Denmark before the UK and Norway joined.
Patria’s 6×6 armoured personnel carrier and variants are designed for troop transport and modular roles (such as command vehicles or support configurations) with scalable protection and NATO interoperability.
What Joining Means
By signing the research and development agreement, the UK and Norway gain access to existing design work and may take part in further development efforts under the CAVS framework, subject to their own national approvals and requirements.
This also opens industrial pathways for local work share, supply chain participation and potential domestic assembly or production under national arrangements with Patria or partner firms.
Programme Growth And Context
CAVS has grown into one of Europe’s most active armoured vehicle cooperation efforts:
Finland, Latvia, Sweden, Germany and Denmark already participate, with orders placed for hundreds of Patria 6×6 vehicles for national forces.
Sweden recently ordered more than 90 additional vehicles, and member nations have configured the core platform for multiple roles, reflecting a push for commonality across armies.
Industrial partners such as Kongsberg Defence have deals in place to supply standard remote weapon stations across the fleet, underscoring supplier integration within CAVS.
Strategic Implications
The expansion of CAVS membership aligns with broader trends in European defence cooperation, where pooled procurement and shared development reduce duplication while strengthening collective capabilities among NATO allies.
For the UK, participation reinforces ties with European land systems partners and offers a path to modernised protected mobility capability that can integrate into joint operations or replacement timelines for legacy fleets.
For Norway, the agreement gives access to a scalable armoured vehicle family that can be tailored to its force structure and operate within multinational contingents.
What’s Next
Both countries will proceed with national assessments and planning work through 2026, with further decisions on procurement, variants and industrial programmes expected as planning matures.
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