Patria, Japan Steel Works sign deal to produce 8×8 military vehicles

The AMV XP is an extension of the AMV family. It is designed to offer greater protection, payload, and performance than the original AMV. (Patria)

Patria has signed a licensing agreement with Japan Steel Works Ltd (JSW) to produce the Finnish company's 8×8 Armoured Modular Vehicle (AMV) XP for the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF).

Patria said in late August that the agreement enables local production in line with the JGSDF's Wheeled Armoured Personnel Carrier (WAPC) programme.

Details about the deliveries of the locally produced AMVs were not disclosed. However, JSW said the agreement will also enable the company to provide AMV sustainment services to the JGSDF.

In December 2022 the Japan Ministry of Defense (MoD) selected Patria's AMV to replace the JGSDF's ageing fleet of Komatsu Type 96 8×8 APCs. Patria proposed to license-produce the AMVs in Japan, the MoD said at the time.

The MoD allocated JPY13.6 billion (USD93 million) to acquire 26 AMVs in fiscal year (FY) 2023, a spokesperson for the MoD's Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) told Janes in mid July. In August Japan allotted JPY20.3 billion to acquire 28 AMVs under the WAPC programme in FY 2024.

A spokesperson for the Japan MoD told Janes in December 2022 that the MoD intended to purchase about 140 AMVs over five years. However, Janes assesses the WAPC programme could feature the purchase of approximately 400 AMVs to replace the same number of Type 96 APCs in service with the JGSDF. The Type 96 APC was inducted into service from 1996.

The ATLA spokesperson added, “We are considering introducing four types [of AMVs]: command and communication type, logistics support type, patient transport type, and facility support type.”