First Slovak CV90 IFV Emerges from Assembly Line, Enters Testing Phase
Slovakia’s first CV90 MkIV infantry fighting vehicle has rolled out from BAE Systems Hägglunds’ facility in Sweden and entered the testing phase. The vehicle is part of Bratislava’s 152-unit procurement program aimed at modernizing its mechanized forces.
Slovakia marked a milestone on 20 February 2026 with the ceremonial rollout of its first Combat Vehicle 90 (CV90) MkIV infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), signalling tangible progress in its mechanised forces modernisation programme.
The ceremony took place at BAE Systems Hägglunds’ production facility in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden, attended by Slovak and Swedish defence officials. The vehicle is the final of four first-of-type (FoT) units built in Sweden and now moves into an intensive test regime ahead of delivery to the Slovak Armed Forces.
Slovakia’s acquisition programme, formalised through a government-to-government agreement with Sweden in December 2022, encompasses 152 CV90 MkIVs spanning multiple variants, including 122 primary IFVs and 30 support and specialist versions. The contract, valued at approximately USD 1.37 billion, also covers training and tactical simulation systems.
The industrial cooperation framework under the agreement positions Slovakia’s state-owned ZTS Špeciál as the principal domestic partner. Production in Slovakia is already underway, with more than 30 local firms comprising roughly 40 % of the contract’s work-share, enhancing national defence industrial base participation.
Delivery of the full fleet will follow testing and qualification, supporting Bratislava’s broader objective of replacing legacy Soviet-era tracked platforms with a NATO-standard mechanised combat vehicle.
