WARSAW, Poland — Slovenia’s government is delaying an envisioned purchase of roughly 100 AMV XP vehicles from Finnish manufacturer Patria during its current term, marking a new twist in the country’s long-running acquisition saga about armored vehicles.
This means that, despite signing a letter of intent with Finland last February, the Cabinet will not authorize the procurement of new eight-wheel-drive rides before the next parliamentary election, expected to be held in March 2026.
The Slovenian government selected the AMV XP last year after canceling the previous Cabinet’s 2022 contract to procure 45 Boxer vehicles from the Organization for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR), a multinational military-procurement agency.
The planned acquisition of Finnish vehicles was to boost the capabilities of a medium battalion battle group and a medium combat reconnaissance battalion within Slovenia’s military.
Slovenian media have reported on various potential reasons for delaying the AMV XP purchase that were proffered by unnamed government officials.
These include the Cabinet’s requirement for better force protection, including anti-drone measures, and the requirement to involve the domestic industry in the production of their turrets.
However, some local observers believe the actual reason is that the planned purchase could become the largest military procurement in the country’s history, at an estimated €695 million ($811 million), making it unpopular among a segment of Slovenian voters.
Matej Tonin, a member of the European Parliament for the opposition New Slovenia party and the nation’s former defense minister who signed the Boxer deal, criticized the government for the delay. He cited planning projections from the defunct Boxer purchase that would have the army equipped with 35 out of 45 those vehicle by now.
“Instead, we have lost three to four years, and every year acquisitions of military equipment become more and more expensive,” Tonin said.
“The demand has grown dramatically over the past three years, and this has been combined with a high level of inflation,” he added. “My advice to the government would be: don’t start everything from scratch, continue what was already initiated, and check what is needed by the Slovenian military.”
A spokesperson for the Slovenian Ministry of Defense told Defense News the project to purchase Patria vehicles “is ongoing and has not been halted in any way,” but technical add-ons would take more time.
“Due to changes in military conflicts and combat doctrine on modern battlefields, which also require the use of drones and anti-drone protection for effective operation, the Ministry of Defence has decided to upgrade the 8×8 vehicles with modern modular capabilities,” the spokesperson said. “This will take some time, but it is well worth it due to the increased usability of the vehicles.”
Jaroslaw Adamowski is the Poland correspondent for Defense News.
