State Secretary for Defence Derk Boswijk informed parliament of the acquisitions in writing, the defence ministry said on 26 October. The equipment will primarily strengthen the army’s heavy and medium infantry brigades.
The new CV90s will equip an armoured infantry battalion to be established at Nassau-Dietz barracks in Budel. The Netherlands will buy them through a Swedish-led initiative with other countries, which the ministry said would accelerate delivery and improve cooperation with European allies.
The army’s Leopard 2-based Kodiak engineering breaching vehicles will be replaced because they no longer offer sufficient protection against current and future threats, according to the ministry. Breakdowns have also limited their availability for clearing defensive lines, minefields, walls and other obstacles.
The Netherlands will also acquire more bridge-laying tanks to create temporary crossings over water. It is likely to join a German contract for that purchase.
Germany’s Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft, or FFG, will supply new Armoured Combat Support Vehicles and Wisent-2 heavy recovery vehicles. The ACSV purchase will cover several variants, including ambulances, command posts, minelayers and driver-training vehicles, while the Wisent-2 will be used to recover stranded equipment.
Van Halteren Technologies will assemble and maintain the ACSV and recovery vehicles in the Netherlands. KONI Nederland and Neways Electronics will supply components, and Avient Protective Materials will provide high-performance fibres for the ACSV’s ballistic protection.
