Latvia Is Set To Acquire A New Infantry Fighting Vehicle

The Latvian Ministry of Defense and General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS)-Santa Bárbara Sistemas have entered contract negotiations for new tracked combat vehicles. The Latvian Ministry lately confirmed that the ASCOD from GDELS was selected after an international competition with extensive functional tests.

Alejandro Page, GDELS Vice President for Programs, commented on the decision: “This decision again demonstrates the excellence of GDELS in the field of tracked vehicles. The ASCOD is a state-of-the-art combat vehicle that fully meets the complex demands of today’s mission profiles.”

“The ASCOD will provide a significant increase in mobility, firepower and protection to the National Armed Forces of Latvia, and at the same time guarantee a considerable workshare for the domestic defense industry,” said Dr. Thomas Kauffmann, GDELS Vice President for Global Sales.

The ASCOD is already in use in different variants and configurations in the armed forces of five countries: Spain, Austria, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Philippines, with 1,200 units in service or under contract.

More about the ASCOD:

ASCOD is a modular vehicle design based on the successful Common Base Platform concept developed by GDELS. The ASCOD offers a large interior volume with very compact dimensions and combines superior tactical maneuverability with excellent mine protection and modular additional armor. GDELS delivers ASCOD to its customers with open architecture in a variety of variants and roles, all utilizing the same base platform, reducing complexity and costs while enabling custom solutions. For firepower, the ASCOD can accommodate a variety of turrets from different manufacturers ranging from 25mm to 120mm caliber, as well as Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM). 

To read more, please visit General Dynamics' website.