Slovak defence industry receives technology transfer from Patria

Slovak company CSM Industry will play a major role in the production of the vehicles. The technology transfer process from Finland is currently underway. The Patria programme will bring 40 jobs to the CMS Industry’s site in Tisovec. The company has already begun to take on the first new assembly workers. In addition, it is carrying out dual education engagement with the secondary technical schools in Hnúšťa and Revúca. Alongside this, the company is reconstructing an assembly hall where the Patria 8×8 AMV XP vehicles will be assembled. Half of the €4 million investment in the facility will come from the Finnish company.

“To sum up and underline the most important facts, production on the first Patria vehicle to be exclusively “made in Slovakia” will start in September. State-owned KONŠTRUKTA-Defence, the prime contractor, will participate in the project by, among other things, supplying the chassis. A number of other Slovak firms will take part in the production of the vehicles, which will bring stability to the companies in Dubnica nad Váhom and Skalica, for example. I am excited that we will bring jobs and major investments to the regions,” said Slovak Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď.

The Slovak Ministry of Defence clear support for the Slovak defence industry, which is reflected in the record levels of local industrial participation, is appreciated by Managing Director of CSM Industry Tomáš Maroš.

“This is a significant help for the industry, the region and the engineering sector, because this is the way for the defence industry to re-emerge. Thanks to this, we will do our utmost to encourage people to come back to the region and revive it. If we look at the map of our country, what we can see is that the vehicle will be produced in Moldava nad Bodvou and Tisovec, which are situated in Slovakia’s two least developed regions,” he stressed.

“We have involved the Slovak defence industry in the delivery of all modernisation projects, whether it be the radar systems, the tracked armoured platforms, or, as in the case of CSM Industry, the wheeled armoured platforms – the Patria 8×8 wheeled armoured fighting vehicle,” added Slovak Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad.

As Defence Industry Europe reported, in August 2022, Slovakia and Finland with Patria have signed a comprehensive government-to-government (G2G) agreement to purchase 76 armored combat vehicles (ACV) from Patria.