Photo: Ibaril (Creative Commons)
A selection of the domestically-produced weapons and vehicles that would bolster NATO’s arsenal if Finland and Sweden are successful in their bids to join the military alliance.
Combat Vehicle 90
The Swedish armored vehicle is unique for its use of “active damping” suspension based on Formula One racing technology that continuously adjusts suspension to suit terrain. The high-tech suspension gives the vehicle a speed advantage over lumpy ground but adds significant maintenance complexity. The basic model of the CV90 is armed with a an autocannon capable of firing five 40mm shells per second.
Bandvagn Skyddad 10
The Swedish-British vehicle is fitted with tracks wide enough to traverse snowy or swampy wilderness that would be impassable for most military vehicles. The BvS 10 is armored but remains light enough to “swim” by using the ridges on its tracks to churn slowly across waterways. It can be fitted with a heavy machine gun, and the smoke-grenade launchers (above front windows in this photo) can also fire fragmentation grenades.
155 GH 52 APU
Finland’s massive artillery piece fires 155mm shells – seen as the upper limit for human-loaded projectiles. Although designed to be towed by another vehicle, the 13.5 ton howitzer has its own small engine which can be used to reposition short distances while in the field. The gun reportedly suffers from “serious technical problems”, which were not disclosed before a sale to Egypt – the only country outside Finland to use the weapon.
AMOS
The Finnish-Swedish Advanced Mortar System, seen here mounted on a Finnish Patria AMV hull, is a double-barrelled mortar that uses computer-assisted aiming capable of landing ten mortar rounds on target in the same moment. The automated firing system lobs its first two rounds in a high arc, then follows up with progressively lower trajectories timed to ensure all of the rounds arrive simultaneously.
Patria AMV
Finland’s Armored Modular Vehicle serves as a platform for multiple different weapons including remote-controlled guns that remove the need for a vulnerable human gunner. The military vehicle can transport up to 12 people and has been highly successful on the export market with hundreds sold abroad. Polish versions of the AMV reportedly survived direct hits from RPG rounds while on combat duty in Afghanistan. In 2009 one Polish soldier was killed inside one of the vehicles after it was hit by a roadside bomb.
95 S 58-61
The unwieldy recoilless gun was developed in Finland in the 1950s, but with newly-developed anti-tank ammunition is capable of piercing more than half a meter of armor. The “Musti” is nicknamed with the Finnish word for a black dog due to its loud “bark” and the regular “walks” it requires to firing positions during training for Finnish conscripts.
Archer Artillery System
Sweden’s Archer automated howitzer is able to park, aim and fire within 30 seconds then fold itself up and “scoot” to safety in the same amount of time. The hypermodern artillery system fires 155mm projectiles including the expensive U.S.-made Excalibur guided artillery shells, capable of steering themselves with sufficient accuracy to hit a car from 60 kilometers away. The Archer system includes an armored truck that protects the driver inside from shrapnel and small arms fire.
