New CV90120 with L44A1 120 mm gun brings full tank firepower at half the weight.

BAE Systems Hägglunds and Rheinmetall Weapon and Ammunition will test a CV90120 prototype equipped with the Rheinmetall L44A1 120 mm low-recoil gun to evaluate how a lighter tracked platform could reach the firepower of main battle tanks.

On October 8, 2025, BAE Systems Hägglunds and Rheinmetall Weapon and Ammunition signed an agreement to test a CV90120 prototype fitted with the Rheinmetall L44A1 120 mm low-recoil (LR) gun on the CV90 Mk IV chassis. This variant will provide a lighter tracked vehicle capable of using standard NATO 120×570 mm ammunition while maintaining reduced structural load and improved deployment flexibility compared with main battle tanks.
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Lighter than a main battle tank, but keeping the same firepower, this new variant of the CV90120 will deploy faster, as well as simplifying logistics and training for the armed forces already using the CV90. (Picture source: BAE Systems)

The 120 mm L/44 represents one of the most widely used tank gun standards in NATO service. The original L/44 gun features a 44-calibre barrel length of approximately 5.28 meters, producing muzzle velocities near 1,650 m/s with standard kinetic rounds. The L/44A1 version maintains the same barrel length and chamber geometry but incorporates structural reinforcements, improved steel alloys, and modified recoil systems to handle higher chamber pressures and longer service life. Compared to the standard L/44, the A1 version can fire all existing NATO 120 mm rounds while supporting newer high-pressure types such as the DM63A1 and DM73 kinetic energy projectiles. This provides compatibility across legacy and next-generation ammunition while reducing the impulse transmitted to the host platform.

The L44A1 gun can employ a wide range of ammunition, including programmable high-explosive rounds such as the DM11 and advanced kinetic penetrators. The DM11 offers three fuzing modes, airburst, delay, and point detonation, with an effective range of up to 5,000 meters, while kinetic rounds such as the DM63A1 achieve armor penetration levels exceeding 600 mm RHA at 2,000 meters when fired from L/44-class barrels. The system also accommodates practice ammunition such as DM88 and DM98, allowing reduced wear during training. Typical cartridge masses range from 18 to 29 kg, and sustained firing rates reach 6–10 rounds per minute depending on turret automation and ammunition stowage configuration. These figures define the energy and handling envelope for any vehicle-mounted adaptation of the L44A1 gun.

Rheinmetall's L44A1 Low Recoil variant employs an enhanced recoil management system combining longer recoil travel, optimized buffer assemblies, and optional muzzle devices to lower peak impulse without reducing projectile energy beyond acceptable thresholds. The system can absorb and distribute firing loads across a lighter turret structure, making it suitable for 30–40 tonne class vehicles. The barrel life is extended beyond the standard 400–500 effective full charges typical of earlier L/44 guns, while the use of temperature-independent propellants stabilizes performance under extreme environmental conditions. These technical choices distribute firing loads more evenly and reduce stress concentrations on turret structures, allowing lighter vehicles, such as the CV90120, to sustain repeated firing cycles without measurable loss of accuracy or component alignment.

In order to integrate the L44A1 LR optimally, the CV90120 is equipped with a reinforced chassis, upgraded recoil mounts, and stabilized suspension designed to maintain structural rigidity and firing precision during both stationary and mobile engagements. The Swedish light tank has a length of approximately 6.6 meters, a width of 3.3 meters, and a height of around 2.8 meters, depending on sighting systems. Combat weight ranges between 35 and 37 tonnes, depending on armor configuration. It is powered by a Scania diesel engine developing up to 1,000 horsepower, coupled to an automatic transmission providing top speeds of 70 km/h on the road and about 40 km/h in reverse. The autoloading turret holds around 45–50 rounds of ready and reserve ammunition, enabling a sustained firing rate similar to heavier tanks while keeping crew size to four.

The CV90 incorporates active damping suspension, a reinforced transmission, rubber band tracks, and an upgraded electronic architecture with full digital fire control capable of programming advanced munitions. An active protection system, modular armor packages, and advanced situational awareness sensors enhance survivability. The turret design allows integration of roof-mounted 12.7 mm or 7.62 mm secondary weapons and launchers for smoke or countermeasure grenades. These systems allow the CV90120 to deliver direct fire support, anti-armor, and area engagement missions at long ranges while maintaining high mobility and reduced logistical footprint compared to traditional main battle tanks.

The integration of Rheinmetall’s 120 mm L44A1 Low Recoil gun onto the CV90120 prototype allows a lighter tracked vehicle to deliver main battle tank–level firepower while remaining within the mobility and transport limits of the CV90 family. By reducing recoil forces, the system enables accurate firing without requiring the mass or structural reinforcement of a heavy tank turret. This new variant of the CV90120 can fire standard NATO 120×570 mm ammunition, simplifying logistics and training for the armed forces already using this calibre. This approach provides greater tactical flexibility, faster deployment, and lower operating costs, as the vehicle consumes less fuel and imposes less wear on drivetrains. The integration of the L44A1 also expands the CV90’s operational interest, creating a variant that distributes direct-fire capability across lighter, more mobile units while maintaining interoperability with existing ammunition and maintenance networks

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.