On August 31, 2023 Patria and Japan Steel Works Ltd (JSW) signed an agreement to manufacture Patria AMV XP 8×8 vehicles in Japan. The agreement provides for domestic production under the Japanese Armed Forces’ Wheeled Armored Personnel Carrier (WAPC) program. In December 2022, the Patria AMV XP 8×8 vehicle was selected by the program to replace the Type-96 8×8 APCs currently in service. Neither the number of new vehicles nor the value of the deal has been disclosed at this stage.

Patria is owned by the Finnish state (50.1%) and Norwegian Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace AS (49.9%). Patria owns 50% of Nammo and together these three companies form a major partnership in the Nordic defence industry.

The Patria AMV XP 8×8 is based on a modular structure with variations to meet the specific needs of each customer, from hot deserts to arctic conditions, as the company itself reports. The basic model of the platform is available in the following variants: armored personnel carrier (APC-APC), armored infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), command vehicle, ambulance, reconnaissance vehicle, anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) vehicle, armored repair vehicle and recovery vehicle (ARRV), fire support vehicle as well as a 120 mm Patria Nemo mortar system. Further, the vehicle can integrate anti-aircraft weapons, featuring, according to the company, K5+ level anti-ballistic protection and STANAG level 4a/4b mine protection.

Also read: Japan | Signs Memorandum of Cooperation with Israel over arms import