Milrem Contributing to Estonian CV90 Upgrade
Milrem Robotics is to contribute engineering expertise to the upgrade of Estonia’s CV90 IFV fleet as part of a consortium led by Go Craft and Scania Estonia, the company announced on 31 August.
In June 2021, the Estonian Centre of Defence Investment (ECDI) awarded Go Craft and Scania Estonia a €29.3 million contract for upgrading 37 CV90 vehicles procured from Norway in 2016. Over the next two years, the companies, with the support of Milrem Robotics, will refurbish all 37, converting 31 of them into different types of supporting vehicles, including fire support, engineering, and anti-tank roles, specifically based on the need of the Estonian Defence Forces 1st Infantry Brigade Scout Battalion.
Milrem Robotics will provide expertise in engineering, manage end-product prototyping, prepares operator and maintenance-oriented documentation and conduct operator and maintenance-oriented training.
“Milrem Robotics has developed extensive engineering competence over the last eight years. We have a strong team in the Nordic countries, with competence not only in autonomous navigation, but as well in hybrid drive, electrical and mechanical engineering, and systems integration. The Type-X Robotic Combat Vehicle is proof of these competences. This CV90 project is a good example that we can work with more traditional and manned vehicles as well,” commented Milrem CEO, Kuldar Väärsi.
“Entrusting Go Craft with this technically extremely demanding work is a great recognition of our work so far and we take the responsibility seriously. As the technical task and work effort in the given time frame is ambitious, we have supplemented our team and chosen sub-contractors to support our mission. Milrem Robotics was the best choice to lead the mechanical engineering process to make the final design with the needed and chosen components according to all military standards and as ergonomic and user friendly,” added Go Craft’s Head of Military, Tormis Saar.
”The CV90 support vehicles rebuild programme is the most complicated engineering project entrusted to the Estonian defence industry. This fact illustrates the maturity of our industry to handle large scale and complex defence projects. Milrem Robotics can definitely be considered as a flagship of those industrial capabilities, and we are waiting forward to cooperate with them during the design phase of the project,” stated Ivar Janson, Strategic Category Manager for Armoured Vehicles at the ECDI.