MILAN — French company Texelis Defense and Finnish defense manufacturer Scata have partnered to develop new combat vehicle made entirely in Finland, with variants planned for counter-drone and air-defense operations.
The 18-ton vehicle, dubbed the MK1, was developed in less than a year and is envisioned as a multi-role platform incorporating lessons the companies have drawn from the war in Ukraine.
Company officials told Defense News the project took shape after they identified a market gap in the European market: an intermediate segment between light vehicles and heavy-duty vehicles.
“In Finland, we already have two combat vehicle suppliers, Sisu and Patria, whose offers range between 10-15 and 24 tons – we wanted to create something in the middle, to widen the portfolio of vehicles coming from Finland,” Viktor Ekman, the CEO of Scata, told Defense News in March 19 interview.
Ekman said he considers his company to be an “add-on” to those two firms, rather than a competitor.
The new vehicle is designed to perform a variety of missions, including reconnaissance, troop transport for up to 10 soldiers, anti-drone operations and short-range air defense.
In the counter-drone category, the manufacturer is still assessing weaponry options, including interceptor drones that would be launched from the roof or from the inside of the vehicle to intercept incoming unmanned craft, Ekman said.
Enginneers have placed special emphasis on hardening the top side of the Mk1, given how combat vehicles have been significantly damaged in Ukraine by first-person-view drones.
For Ukrainian forces, cheap and short-term solutions to this issue have included metal cages or mesh, which cause an early detonation of explosive charges.
The Finnish-made combat vehicle is slated to be on display at the Eurosatory arms fair in Paris, which runs June 15-19.
Ekman said the company is in discussions with Finland and Sweden as potential launch customers.
Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo is a Europe correspondent for Defense News. She covers a wide range of topics related to military procurement and international security, and specializes in reporting on the aviation sector. She is based in Milan, Italy.
