Denmark Orders 130 Patria 6×6 Armored Personnel Carriers
Denmark’s defense ministry announced on April 1, that it had ordered 130 6×6 wheeled armored personnel carriers from Finnish manufacturer Patria. According to the defense ministry, an initial batch will be delivered this year to facilitate the start of crew training, ahead of the bulk of deliveries expected to begin in 2026, with defense minister Troels Lund Poulsen saying the speed of deliveries was “crucial” in the current security environment.
The defense ministry estimates the cost of the order to be approximately 1.9 billion Danish krone (approximately $276 million). The order is being funded through the defense ministry’s Acceleration Fund, which provides 50 billion krone in additional funding for what Copehagen describes as “rapid investments in fighting capability that will strengthen the Danish Defence in the short term” across the 2025 and 2026 fiscal years.
Poulsen said the armored personnel carriers will equip both light infantry and armored units of the Royal Danish Army, adding that the purchase was a demonstration of Denmark’s support for the European military industry by “buying European”.
Several specialized variants of the armored personnel carriers will be delivered as part of the purchase, including command vehicles, communications vehicles, electronic warfare vehicles, and ambulances.
According to Patria, the purchase is part of Denmark’s entry into the Common Armoured Vehicle System program, with Copenhagen having signed the Technical Arrangement to enter the program and receiving the support of current members Finland, Latvia, Sweden and Germany.
“Patria welcomes Denmark’s swift decision to join the CAVS programme. The constantly evolving European security landscape has resulted into a high need of multinational collaboration enhancing interoperability and security of supply between allied nations. Supported by EU’s European Defence Industry Reinforcement through common Procurement Act (EDIRPA), the CAVS programme is a prime example for creating the desired common capabilities in a quick and cost-effective manner”, says Mats Warstedt, Senior Vice President, Market Area Nordics of Patria.