Finland's Patria in 112 mln eur deal to sell armoured vehicles to Croatia

Finland's Patria in 112 mln eur deal to sell armoured vehicles to Croatia

ZAGREB (Thomson Financial) - Croatia has signed a 112 mln eur deal with Finnish defence company Patria to buy 84 AMV 8X8 armoured vehicles, the defence ministry said here.
The purchase is part of Croatia's bid to modernise its armed forces in order to bring them into line with standards of NATO which the Balkan country hopes to be invited to join next year.
According to the deal, Patria is to deliver the first eight-wheeled vehicles by the end of 2008, while the complete delivery should be completed four years later.
The first six vehicles will be manufactured in Finland and the others in a Croatian factory in cooperation with the Finnish counterpart.
Croatia plans to buy another 42 armoured vehicles but the choice of a partner who will procure them will made by the next government, after the Nov 25 general elections, Defence Minister Berislav Roncevic said.
Croatia wants to make its army completely professional by 2014. The cost of implementing the changes is estimated at some 1.2 bln eur.
The funds would be used notably to buy 12 fighter planes, 126 armoured vehicles and navy equipment, and modernise the country's anti-aircraft systems and infrastructure.