ANKARA, Turkey — Finland, Norway and Latvia have signed a Statement of Intent to cooperate on the development and potential joint procurement of the Patria TRACKX armoured tracked vehicle during the 2026 NATO Summit in Ankara, marking a new step in multinational defence cooperation aimed at improving land mobility and interoperability among European allies.
The agreement establishes a framework for the three countries to share information on the ongoing development of the TRACKX platform and the results of field trials. It also allows the participating nations to explore future joint procurement opportunities and coordinate additional product development.
Finnish Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen signed the agreement on behalf of Finland.
Focus on Arctic and All-Terrain Mobility
Patria TRACKX is a next-generation armoured tracked vehicle developed to operate in demanding environments, including deep snow, marshlands and Arctic terrain. The vehicle has been developed under the multinational Future Highly Mobile Augmented Armoured Systems (FAMOUS) programme, which is co-funded by the European Defence Fund (EDF).
The TRACKX programme is intended to provide European armed forces with a modern replacement for ageing tracked vehicle fleets such as the M113 and MT-LB.
Designed for the 13-to-18-ton weight class, the vehicle has an empty weight of 12 tonnes and can carry a payload of up to 3.5 tonnes. It accommodates a crew of up to 10 soldiers in a protected compartment fitted with blast-attenuating seats and can be equipped with a 12.7 mm machine gun.
The vehicle also features wide rubber tracks, a low centre of gravity and an independent adjustable hydropneumatic suspension for each road wheel, providing improved mobility across difficult terrain while maintaining stability and crew protection.
Based on the CAVS Cooperation Model
The TRACKX initiative follows the cooperation model used in the Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS) programme based on the Patria 6×6 wheeled armoured vehicle.
According to Patria, the CAVS programme has demonstrated that jointly defining military requirements, coordinating procurement and sharing life-cycle support can accelerate vehicle deliveries, improve interoperability and strengthen supply security among NATO and European partner nations.
The TRACKX cooperation is expected to apply the same approach by allowing participating countries to coordinate development, testing and future procurement while reducing long-term support costs.
Officials Highlight Multinational Cooperation
Patria President and CEO Panu Routila said Europe and allied nations require a new level of mobility that cannot be delivered by individual countries acting alone. He said multinational cooperation and joint procurement provide an effective way to transform shared operational requirements into deployable capability while improving interoperability.
Routila also said the agreement demonstrates that all-terrain mobility has become a strategic capability area for both NATO and European defence, supporting the renewal of ageing armoured vehicle fleets with a European-developed platform.
Jussi Järvinen, Executive Vice President of Patria's Protected Mobility business area, said the success of the CAVS programme has shown the benefits of multinational cooperation. He said the Statement of Intent reflects strong interest in establishing a common tracked vehicle platform to improve interoperability, joint operational capability and life-cycle efficiency.
Järvinen added that TRACKX is designed to provide high mobility, protection, situational awareness and operational range across a wide range of operating environments.
Serial Production Planned From 2027
Patria expects TRACKX to enter serial production between 2027 and 2028, with the goal of enabling national procurement programmes from 2027 onward as participating countries finalize their requirements.
Alongside the trilateral agreement, Sweden continues to participate in TRACKX technology development and pre-series procurement activities through a separate cooperation agreement with Finland. Patria said this parallel effort supports technology development and helps prepare the vehicle for future procurement.
Supporting NATO and European Defence
A broader multinational programme led by Finland is currently being organized around the TRACKX platform. According to the Finnish Ministry of Defence, improving protected operational mobility in Arctic regions remains a key national security priority.
The programme is also expected to support the Eastern Flank Watch (EWF) initiative, which focuses on strengthening security, readiness and operational mobility for the easternmost member states of the European Union.
The Statement of Intent reflects continuing efforts by Finland, Norway and Latvia to enhance defence cooperation through common capability development, coordinated procurement and improved interoperability across NATO and European partner forces.
Source: patriagroup
——— End of Article ———
