Combat Vehicle 90 The Stridsfordon 90 ( Strf 90 ) ( Eng . Combat Vehicle 90 ( CV90 ) ) , is a family of Swedish tracked combat vehicles designed by FMV , Hägglunds and Bofors in mid - 1980s to early 1990s . The Swedish version of the main infantry fighting vehicle was fitted with a turret from Bofors equipped with a 40 mm autocannon although export versions used 30mm and 35mm autocannons . Developed specifically for the Nordic sub - arctic climate , it has very good mobility in snow and wetlands , while carrying and supporting 8 – 6 fully equipped soldiers . Other variants includes Forward Observation , Command and Control , Anti - air , Armoured Recovery , Electronic Warfare and so forth . It is still produced and developed further by BAE Systems Hägglunds AB . History . During the Cold War , in 1983 , the Swedish Army desired vehicles with high mobility , air defence and anti - tank capability , high survivability and protection . The project group " Stridsfordon 90 " was formed by representatives from Försvarmakten , Försvarets Materielverk and Swedish industry including Hägglunds and Bofors , which in 1985 finalize the draft for a " unity - vehicle " following the concept from the airforce . In 1986 the prototypes for Strf 9040 and Strf 9025 were ordered . Five prototypes were constructed , but before delivery in 1988 the 9025 - version was discontinued . These prototypes were tested during extensive trials for three years between 1988 to 1991 , during which the prototypes for specialized variants ( FOV , C & C and ARV ) were ordered . The first deliveries started in 1994 , and as of 2002 over 1 , 000 CV90s have been delivered worldwide . Design . Various customer requirements have led to several generations of CV90 , where the major differences are survivability and the electronic architecture . Higher protection has led to higher kerb weight ; the vehicle ' s combat weight has risen from 23 to 35 tonnes . However , with increasingly more powerful diesel engines , the power - to - weight ratio has remained approximately the same . The track suspension system has seen upgrades in several stages . The Mk III version has a digital electronic architecture with several different CAN - buses and digital networks , and is the first IFV to boast an automatic Defensive Aid Suite ( DAS ) , which classifies threats and , in automatic mode , can fire smoke and / or the main gun in suitable directions as well as instruct the driver . At the Eurosatory 2010 exhibition , a version called Armadillo was presented . The Armadillo shown was an Armoured Personnel Carrier ( APC ) version , which shows how flexible the original platform is - with a bolted roof , several other roles ( like ambulance , control vehicle or other turreted versions ) are easy to create . Protection . The basic armour of the CV9040 provides all - round protection against 14 . 5 mm armour - piercing rounds . Armour protection over the frontal arc is classified , but all models from CV9040B and later are said to be protected against 30 mm APFSDS . Some variants , including the CV9030N , can be fitted with MEXAS , a ceramic appliqué armor which provides all - round protection against 30 mm APFSDS . This armour kit is intended to provide increased protection against Improvised explosive device , explosively formed penetrator and 30 mm caliber armour piercing rounds . All CV90s are fitted with a Kevlar spall suppression liner , which covers the interior spaces and provides protection for the troops inside against shrapnel and anti - personnel artillery munition . The CV90 can be also fitted with cage armour , which provides protection against tandem - charge and shaped charge warheads . The CV90 is fitted with a nuclear , biological , and chemical ( NBC ) filtration system accompanied with a chemical detector and radiation detector systems . The CV90 also use heat - absorbing filters to provide temporary protection against thermal imaging ( TIS ) , image intensifier and infrared camera ( IR ) . The CV 90 was designed to produce a very low and very compact structure to minimize radar and IR - signatures . With every generation of CV90 there has been an increase in payload and corresponding protection levels . The inherent mine protection levels have risen substantially to presently defeat the heaviest ( 10 kg TNT ) anti - tank mines . Mobility . The CV90 Mk0 is powered by a DSI14 engine developed by Scania , which provides 550 horse power ( HP ) and it can reach speeds of 70 kilometers per hour . The basic CV90 has a maximum road range of 320 kilometers , but the latest generation can reach up to 600 kilometers . The CV90 offers quieter movement for improved stealth , greater speed over good terrain , and higher ground clearance for protection against mines and improvised explosive devices . BAE Systems is considering upgrading the CV90 with a hybrid - electric propulsion system as armies look to cut fuel expenses , due to environmental issues and fuel economy . A hybrid - electric drive could cut fuel consumption by 10 to 30 percent . The new system would also provide a power boost to move the vehicle . The hybrid - electric combines a standard diesel engine with a battery pack to provide extra power to propel the vehicle or provide additional electricity . Armament . The basic CV90 is fitted with a two - man turret , armed with a Bofors 40 mm caliber gun and a coaxial 7 . 62 mm machine gun . The CV90 also carries six 76 - mm grenade launchers , which are arranged in two clusters of three launchers ; the clusters are positioned on each side of the turret . The grenade launchers are intended for smoke grenades , but can also be loaded with a variety of combat grenades . Sight . The CV90 is equipped with a UTAAS ( Universal Tank and Anti - Aircraft Sight ) from Saab . Daytime optical , Thermal Imaging System ( TIS ) and Generation III Image Intensification ( II ) . Production . Production of the CV 90 began in 1993 , and over 1 , 000 vehicles have been ordered . In November 2000 , Finland ordered 57 CV9030 vehicles . Total cost was €250 million ( ) , or €4 . 42 million per vehicle . In June 2004 , Finland made another purchase , bringing the overall quantity ordered to 102 . This time the cost was €2 . 92 million ( ) per vehicle . In December 2005 , Denmark ordered 45 CV9035 vehicles for a cost of €188 million or €4 . 18 million per vehicle . The Netherlands ordered 184 combat plus 8 instruction CV9035 vehicles for a cost of €749 million . Research . Hägglunds ( now BAE Systems AB ) demonstrated in 2011 a version with an infrared camouflage called Adaptiv consisting of thermoelectric plates , capable of posing as many different objects such as ordinary cars , stones , trees etc . to an enemy IR - viewfinder . It takes 1 , 500 plates to cover a CV90 , at a cost of $ 100 per plate . Variants . Domestic . Developed by Hägglund / Bofors in cooperation with FOI , FOA and FMV for Försvarsmakten as part of the Stridsfordon 90 ( Strf 90 ) - family . Sweden originally planned for a mix of CV9040 and CV9025 , tests of the 25 mm turret being carried out on on an Ikv 91 chassis , but finally decided on the 40 mm version , due to the much higher versatility of the larger calibre . Depending on received upgrades , the versions are called Adam , Bertil or Caesar . All three remains in service : The forward observation , command and recovery vehicles are armed only with a machine gun . The CV90 Armadillo can be modified to become a personnel carrier , an ambulance , a command and control centre , a recovery vehicle and many other non - turreted variants at low cost due up to 80 % commonality between Variants . Currently , only the APC version has been built , with five units delivered to Denmark for trials . Combat service . First use was by the Swedish UN - forces in Liberia 2004 , where 13 Stridsfordon 9040C were deployed . Since the production begun in 1993 , the CV90 had remained untested in live combat until November 2007 , when Norwegian Army CV90s from 2nd Battalion saw heavy combat during Operation Harekate Yolo in Afghanistan . During the first week of November , Norwegian ISAF forces from 2nd Battalion and " Kystjegerkommandoen " based in Mazar - e - Sharif , responded to a Taliban attack on Afghan National Army forces in the Ghowrmach district . Having been heavily outnumbered by the Taliban forces , the Norwegians used mortars and , in particular , CV90s , to effectively beat down the attack . The operation left an unknown number of Taliban casualties , but Norwegian news sources say as many as 45 to 65 Taliban fighters may have been killed , and many more wounded . The CV90 was later used extensively by ISAF - forces of the Norwegian Army ' s Telemark Battalion in May 2008 , when the battalion came under heavy machine gun and RPG fire from Taliban fighters during Operation Karez in the Badghis Province . The attack left 13 Taliban fighters dead , and unknown number of wounded . No allied casualties were reported . In January 2010 , a Norwegian soldier driving a CV9030 was killed when it drove over an IED in Ghowrmach , Afghanistan . In February 2010 , Denmark sent 10 CV9035DK ' s to Afghanistan in order to bolster their contingent in Helmand Province . The Danish contingent had suffered numerous casualties since they began operations in the province in the autumn of 2006 . The vehicles are from the Danish Royal Lifeguard Regiment , based in the Northern part of Seeland . They are working alongside MOWAG Piranha IIIC , MOWAG Eagle IV , M113 G3DK and Leopard 2 A5DK vehicles , all contributed by Denmark , in the Helmand Province . By April 2010 , two of the ten vehicles had been hit with IEDs , in both cases protecting the crew and passengers from personal injury . The vehicles lost two wheels and tracks , and were sent back to the manufacturer in Sweden for further investigation . On 7 August 2010 , a CV9035DK hit an IED in Afghanistan , killing two soldiers and wounding another three . The explosion was so powerful that the vehicle was turned over . As of the spring of 2011 , Sweden operates 9 Strf 9040Cs in Afghanistan . Swedish CV90s have seen combat with insurgents on dozens of occasions .