Nad: Slovak Firms to Participate in Production of Patria Armoured Vehicles

Dubnica nad Vahom, May 5 (TASR) – Konstrukta-Defence, a member of the state-run DMD Group based in Dubnica nad Vahom (Trencin region), will participate in the production of 8×8 military armoured vehicles to be supplied to the Slovak army by Finnish manufacturer Patria, Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad (OLaNO) announced at a news conference on Thursday.

According to Nad, other Slovak arms producers will participate in the production of the vehicles as well.

The Slovak Government will sign a contract for procuring the military armoured vehicles with Finland. “The deadline for signing contracts between the two governments, between the Defence Ministry and Patria, as well as between Patria and Konstrukta-Defence, is the end of September. The negotiations are progressing very well, it looks like we might sign the contracts in July,” said the minister.

Nad said that the first combat vehicles should arrive in Slovakia 12 months after the contracts are signed. The first vehicles will be completely manufactured in Finland in the presence of employees of Slovak arms factories. Production will be shifted to Slovakia by the end of next year, with firms based in Dubnica nad Vahom, Tisovec (Banska Bystrica region), Moldava nad Bodvou (Kosice region), Nova Dubnica (Trencin region), Trnava and Skalica (Trnava region) participating. Subcontractors from some other Slovak towns will be involved as well.

The Slovak army is considering purchasing 500 of these vehicles in the long term, said Nad.

“The primary contractor in this large state order on Slovakia’s part will be state-run joint-stock company Konstrukta-Defence. The Government wants to have control over the whole project via the state-run joint-stock company. This will provide a guarantee of smooth supplies for the Slovak army even in a crisis. That is why we insisted that a large part of the specific work on the new Patria combat vehicle should be carried out in Slovakia,” stressed Nad.