On Friday, February 6, 2026, the Norwegian company Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KDA) announced that it had received an order worth approximately 140 million EUR from the Finnish company Patria Oyj to deliver several hundred Protector RS4 remote weapon stations for German and Swedish Patria 6×6 armored personnel carriers under the international CAVS (Common Armored Vehicle System) program.
Photo: Patria Oyj
According to Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, the contract provides for amendments in 2026 and in the following years.
“This contract positions the RS4 as the standard weapon station configuration across the multinational CAVS fleet. We are pleased to extend our cooperation with the Swedish and German armed forces. Combined with growing interest from participating and prospective CAVS nations, this agreement confirms KONGSBERG’s standing as a leading supplier of remote weapon stations,” said Kjetil Reiten Myhra, Executive Vice President at Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace
The Protector RS4 to be delivered under this contract is an upgraded version of the Nordic configuration, which has already been selected by several European armed forces. It is equipped with advanced integrated sensors, supports multiple weapon types, and can be expanded with counter-UAS capabilities, including the ability to engage small drones. Depending on configuration, the Protector RS4 can be armed with either 12.7 mm or 7.62 mm machine guns, with total system weight ranging from 135 kg to 190 kg. Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace has delivered more than 20,000 Protector-family remote weapon stations to 28 countries to date.
The first contract for Protector RS4 systems for Patria 6×6 vehicles was signed on March 26, 2024, and was valued at approximately 1.2 billion NOK. It covers deliveries to Sweden and Finland between 2025 and 2030.
In previous years, the Protector RS4 has been integrated with British Boxer armored vehicles, K2NO tanks proposed for Norway, Cottonmouth ARV 6×6 light wheeled reconnaissance vehicles under the Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle program for the U.S. Marine Corps, and new CV90 tracked armored vehicles in support variants for Norway.
Patria 6×6 for Germany and Sweden
To date, Sweden has placed three orders totaling 435 Patria 6×6 vehicles under the CAVS program, including 415 series-production units (Swedish authorities had previously declared plans to acquire around 400 vehicles – editor’s note). The vehicles have received the local designation Pansarterrängbil 300 (Patgb 300).
Germany, meanwhile, on December 18, 2025, authorized the purchase of 349 vehicles out of a planned total of 876 (including 69 units in the NEMO mortar carrier variant). Local partners responsible for deliveries and future support include Defence Service Logistics (DSL; part of KNDS) and Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft (FFG).
In addition to Germany, Sweden, and Finland (which has ordered 161 vehicles), other participants in the CAVS program include Latvia (more than 256 vehicles ordered, with the first already in service), Denmark (129 vehicles ordered), as well as the United Kingdom and Norway (numbers yet to be determined).
Outside the program framework, Latvia financed the delivery of 42 vehicles to Ukraine. According to Patria Oyj in January 2023, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Japan have also expressed interest in the modular 6×6 armored vehicle. In early September of last year, Lithuania signaled its interest in joining the CAVS program.
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