On Saturday, June 6, 2026, at the Latvian facilities of Defence Partnership Latvia (DPL) in Valmiera, Livonia, Latvia’s Defence Minister Raivis Melnis was presented with the completed first ASCOD 2 (Austrian Spanish Cooperation Development) chassis for the Mednieks (Hunter) infantry fighting vehicle, which will be integrated with the UT30 Mk2 unmanned turret system from the Israeli company Elbit Systems. The government in Riga has ordered a total of 84 such vehicles.
Photo: Latvian Ministry of Defence
The Defence Partnership Latvia plant belongs to the Finnish company Patria Oyj, which, under an agreement dated May 30, 2025, will manufacture the vehicles on chassis supplied by General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) Santa Barbara Sistemas. Initially, on January 30, 2025, the Latvian authorities ordered a batch of 42 vehicles with logistics support for 373 million EUR, but on June 17 of the same year they approved the procurement of another 42 vehicles for 387 million EUR.
In the meantime, on April 9, 2025, the Israeli company Elbit Systems received an order worth 100 million USD, from GDELS-SBS for deliveries of UT30 Mk2 unmanned turret systems for the first batch of vehicles. On February 18 this year, the Israeli company announced another contract, worth approximately 277 million USD, with an undisclosed export customer for these systems.
The UT30 Mk2 turret is armed with a 30 mm US-made Northrop Grumman ATK Mk44 Bushmaster II automatic cannon, a coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun, and has the ability to carry ATGMs (anti-tank guided missiles). The integrated weapon and fire-control systems, sensors, and HMI (human-machine interface) solutions used in the UT30 Mk2 turret are intended to provide a significant improvement in combat capabilities, situational awareness, and the effectiveness of target detection and engagement. It also includes a protection suite with various protection levels, the Iron Fist active protection system for vehicles, and other countermeasures.
The turret is to feature Level 4 ballistic protection according to the STANAG 4569 standard. The ordered units will be manufactured in industrial cooperation with local companies, ensuring a secure supply chain and domestic support capabilities.
Negotiations on the purchase of the first batch of vehicles had been underway since November 12, 2024. However, as early as the beginning of 2023, it was reported that the procedure to procure infantry fighting vehicles had begun, with several potential suppliers identified as part of a detailed feasibility study. In autumn 2023, functional tests of the bidders’ infantry fighting vehicle platforms were conducted to obtain data on their operational capabilities. According to reports, the counteroffers included the CV90 from the Swedish company BAE Systems Hägglunds, the K21 from South Korea’s Hanwha Defense Systems, and the Tulpar from the Turkish company Otokar Otomotiv.
The involvement of local industry is expected to amount to at least 30% of the value of both orders, covering component deliveries, final assembly, and subsequent in-service support.
In the Latvian National Armed Forces, the Mednieks IFVs (infantry fighting vehicles) will replace the CVR(T) (Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked)) family of light tracked vehicles, acquired second-hand from the United Kingdom in two tranches, with a total of 198 vehicles. These include the FV107 Scimitar reconnaissance vehicle, FV105 Sultan command vehicle, FV103 Spartan armored personnel carrier, FV106 Samson armored recovery vehicle, and FV104 Samaritan ambulance.
It is worth adding that the Defence Partnership Latvia plant in Valmiera is also responsible for assembling Patria 6×6 wheeled armored personnel carriers under the international CAVS (Common Armored Vehicle System) program. Latvia has ordered more than 256 of these vehicles, the first of which are already in service, and has also financed the delivery of 42 vehicles to Ukraine.
Aizsardzības ministrs Raivis Melnis izmēģina jauno kājnieku kaujas mašīnu “Mednieks”.
Tā ir Latvijas vajadzībām lokalizētā kāpurķēžu platformas ASCOD versija, kuras ražošanā ir iesaistīti Latvijas uzņēmumi.#Mednieks #ASCOD pic.twitter.com/wnPc0bwfLy
— Aizsardzības ministrija (@AizsardzibasMin) June 6, 2026
