The Latvian Ministry of Defense announced the choice of the GDELS-Santa Barbara company for the purchase of ASCOD infantry fighting vehicles. The Latvian ministry and the company have already started negotiations for signing the contract in the coming months.
“Experts from the Ministry of Defense and the national armed forces carried out an exhaustive analysis to select the combat vehicles most suited to our needs, which will increase the mobility capacity and firepower of the ground forces,” he said. announced Latvian Defense Minister Andris Sprūds.
With this decision, adopted after an international competition process, Latvia and Santa Barbara began contract negotiations, which “could be concluded at the end of this year or the beginning of next year”, according to the ministry in a press release.
In 2021, the same company signed a contract, via the United States, for the supply of the amphibious bridge and the M3 ferry system to Latvia. ASCOD basic infantry fighting vehicles are currently used by the armed forces of Spain, Austria, Great Britain, the United States and the Philippines.
The procurement procedure for infantry fighting vehicles began in early 2023, with the selection of several potential suppliers as part of a feasibility study. Functional tests were carried out in fall 2023 to obtain data on the operational capabilities of the different platforms.
After the functional tests, the National Armed Forces carried out a thorough evaluation of the results obtained in accordance with the operational needs of the Armed Forces. It also took into account the price of the platforms, the equipment available, and compliance with local industry involvement requirements. “Delivery dates and other aspects have been evaluated,” although the contract amount or the number of vehicles needed have not yet been announced.
“The ASCOD family of vehicles provides a versatile and powerful land platform for current and future theaters of operations operated by multiple NATO member nations. The modular design architecture provides adaptability and scalability and is remarkably cost-effective in terms of maintenance,” said Santa Bárbara.
