*Christos Loizou 

The BAE Systems Armored Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV), Combat Vehicle 90 (CV90), is already at its 5th generation of development, with the impressive latest version, the CV90 MK IV.

We had the opportunity to witness the CV90 MK IV up close during the recent Eurosatory Defence and Security exhibition in Paris. 

The CV90 was designed and developed by the Swedish Ministry of Defence Armaments Directorate (Försvarets Materielverk FMV), Hägglunds (now BAE Systems Hägglunds) and Bofors (now BAE Systems Bofors) during the 1980s. To date, 1280 vehicles have been produced in 15 different versions in seven (7) countries, four (4) of which are NATO members. The latest version, the MK IV, debuted in 2018 and is under delivery to the Norwegian Army. It was recently announced that the CV90 MK IV version will also be acquired by Slovakia in a program to acquire 152 vehicles (of various versions) at a cost of approximately €1,688 billion.

The specifications of the CV90 were developed for the climate of the Scandinavian countries, so the vehicle has very good mobility in snowy terrain and wetlands. The CV90 has satisfactory levels of protection with the basic version being NATO Stanag 4569 – Level 4, offering protection against 14.5mm armour piercing rounds, 155mm artillery splinters at a range of 30m, and anti-tank mines with a 10kg charge of TNT. It is noted that a version with a better level of protection (Level 5) for ballistic protection and level 4a/4b against mines was offered to Slovakia.

CV90 MK IV Eurosatory 2022 sporting IRON FIST’s sensors and countermeasure launchers on the turret

Additional armor packages including active self-protection and passive slat armor are available upon customer requirements. BAE’s ADAPTIV system for multi-spectral protection from enemy observation – by way of changing the camouflage pattern of the vehicle according to the environment – is also offered.

ADAPTIV © BAE SYSTEMS

The CV90 has a crew of 3 (Commander, Gunner, and Driver) while, depending on the version, it can carry up to eight (8) soldiers with their gear.

CV90 MK IV Eurosatory 2022- Bushmaster III 35mm main gun, SPIKE LR2 twin launcher, electro-optical system, IRON FIST, and 7.62mm coaxial machine gun are visible

The newest variant, the CV90 Mk IV, features:

• 1000 hp Scania engine 
• Upgraded X300-type gearbox
• Increase in its maximum weight from 35 to 37 tons without the 2-ton payload being at the expense of vehicle agility
• Active Protection System via the Israeli-made (Elbit) IRON FIST APS for both soft and hard kill of incoming threats
• Mast-mounted electro-optical periscope system (EOPS), featuring Artificial Intelligence (AI) functions  
• Active Damping system for greater stability when driving on any terrain and Canadian-made, Soucy rubber tracks for reduced maintenance costs
• Endurance: Up to 900 kilometers
• New family modular digital design (D-series) turrets, capable of being equipped with a wide range of gun cannons (30/40, 35/50, and 120 mm) as well as anti-tank missiles and machine guns. We note that at Eurosatory the CV90 MK IV was armed with a pair of SPIKE LR2 anti-tank missiles and a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun, in addition to the 35mm Bushmaster III main chain gun (featuring a rate of fire of up to 200 rounds/minute). Different missile systems such as MBDA’s AKERON may also be integrated. 

Another important feature is the fact that the new turret can be elevated from 32 to 45 degrees, something very useful for urban warfare combat (by engaging targets in buildings) and for engaging Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). In addition, due to the main gun being moved forward by approximately 50 cm in the new turret, additional space for the crew was created as well as the option to store more ready-to-fire ammunition.

CV90 MK IV rubber caterpillar © BAE SYSTEMS

Furthermore, the CV90 MK IV features the iFighting™ advanced Augmented Reality (AR) system. The system in question has the ability to merge data from different sensors both on and off the vehicle (i.e. drones) and, upon process with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms, create situational awareness for the crew in order to prioritize threats. The situational awareness picture includes, among other things, 3D maps. 

3D Map with Augmented Reality data © BAE SYSTEMS

This allows the crew to make faster decisions to improve overall performance on the battlefield. 

The capabilities of iFighting™ are fully exploited due to the 4th generation architecture of vehicle electronics according to NATO standards (NATO Generic Vehicle Architecture – NGVA) which facilitate the fusion of data, their processing, and distribution among other vehicles in formation by implementing a fully web-centric environment.

iFighting Computer Generated Image (CGI) working in a network-centric environment © BAE SYSTEMS

A battle-proven vehicle

The CV90’s maiden combat experience was noted by the Swedish UN forces in Liberia in 2004, where 13 vehicles were deployed. 

In November 2007, CV90s of the Norwegian Army found themselves in heavy combat during Operation Harekate Yolo in Afghanistan. During the first week of November, Norwegian forces responded to a Taliban attack on Afghan National Army forces in the Ghowrmach area. 

CV90 of the Norwegian Army in Afghanistan 

The various versions of CV90 are currently in service with Denmark (45 vehicles), Estonia (44 vehicles), Finland (102 vehicles), the Netherlands (193 vehicles), Norway (164 vehicles) and Sweden (549 vehicles). 

On Monday, July 11, 2022, as reported by the General Staff of the Greek Army, a presentation of CV90 IFV was made by representatives of BAE SYSTEM.

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