DSEI 2025: United Kingdom, Norway join CAVS programme

A Patria 6×6 armoured personnel carrier platform displayed at DSEI 2025. (Janes/Christopher Petrov)

The United Kingdom and Norway have become the sixth and seventh member states of the Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS) programme, both announcing the signing of technical agreements to join the programme at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) 2025 exhibition held in London from 9 to 12 September.

The CAVS programme, initially established in 2020 between Finland and Latvia, is a multinational effort to facilitate the procurement of a common European 6×6 design, centred around the Patria 6×6.

For the UK in particular, it follows on from a memorandum of understanding signed between Babcock and Patria at the International Armoured Vehicles 2025 conference in January to offer a British-built Patria 6×6 to the British Army. Babcock said in a press release at DSEI 2025 that it intends to expand its footprint within the Plymouth and South Devon Freeport area to facilitate a British production line for the Patria 6×6 with sufficient capacity to satisfy any potential British Army or export opportunities.

Speaking to Risto Paloposki, business development director at Patria, the Patria 6×6, while visually quite similar to the older Patria XA series, is a new design. The Patria 6×6 shares some automotive components with the Patria armoured modular vehicle (AMV), such as the wheel hubs and some powertrain parts. The base vehicle weighs just over 15 tonnes when empty, while additional armour and armament could bring it to 24 tonnes. Its armoured protection can be scaled from a minimum STANAG 4569 Level II to Level IV, although with the latter it would lose its optional amphibious capability.