BAE Systems Presents CV90 MkIV Combat Vehicle in Configuration Designed for the Czech Army.

BAE Systems Hägglunds has publicly presented the Czech Army’s CV9030 MkIV infantry fighting vehicle in its Czech configuration for the first time in the country, with Army Recognition examining the vehicle at Future Forces 2026 in Prague on 21 October 2026. Combining a 30 mm cannon with enhanced mobility, active protection, counter-drone capabilities and a modern digital architecture, the CV90 MkIV marks a major combat capability leap as Czechia replaces its Soviet-origin BVP-2 fleet with a more survivable and adaptable Western tracked platform.

BAE Systems Hägglunds has publicly presented the Czech Army’s CV9030 MkIV infantry fighting vehicle in its Czech-specific configuration for the first time in the Czech Republic at Future Forces 2026 in Prague (Picture Source: Army Recognition Group)

BAE Systems Hägglunds has brought the Czech Army’s future infantry fighting vehicle into the national spotlight with the first public presentation in the Czech Republic of the CV9030 MkIV in its Czech configuration. During Future Forces Exhibition & Forum in Prague on 21 October 2026, Army Recognition Group, attending as an Official Media Partner, examined the vehicle as Czechia moves from its Soviet origin BVP 2 fleet toward a new generation of Western tracked combat vehicles. The presentation is especially relevant because it combines increased firepower and mobility with active protection, counter-UAS capabilities, digital growth potential and extensive Czech industrial involvement.

The vehicle displayed in Prague represents a concrete stage in a program covering 246 CV90 MkIV vehicles in seven variants. The first Czech CV9030 MkIV was originally unveiled at BAE Systems Hägglunds in Sweden in August 2025, while Future Forces 2026 provides the first opportunity to see the Czech configuration publicly in the Czech Republic. BAE Systems has confirmed that 39 vehicles are to be manufactured at its facilities in Sweden and 207 in the Czech Republic, with final deliveries expected in 2030. This industrial transition is particularly visible at Future Forces, an event that has established itself as one of Prague’s most important international defense and security gatherings, bringing together more than 400 exhibitors from over 35 countries and more than 9,000 participants from over 70 countries. The presence of the Czech CV90 is highly symbolic: it places one of the country’s largest land modernization programs directly in front of military decision-makers, industry representatives and international delegations.

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Technically, the CV9030 MkIV represents the fifth-generation evolution of the CV90 family and introduces substantially greater growth potential than earlier versions. BAE Systems states that the MkIV uses a powertrain delivering up to 1,000 horsepower combined with the upgraded X300 heavy-duty transmission, while maximum gross vehicle weight has increased from 35 to 38 tonnes. This provides approximately three additional tonnes of payload without sacrificing the vehicle’s intended agility, creating useful margin for armor, sensors, electronic warfare equipment and future mission systems. Active damping technology is designed to improve cross-country performance, while the fourth-generation electronic architecture provides the foundation for integrating new technologies over the vehicle’s service life.

The Czech combat version is equipped with the D Series turret and a 30 mm cannon. The Czech Ministry of Defence has explained that the Army evaluated a 35 mm alternative but selected 30 mm partly because of compatibility with the Czech Pandur fleet and the wide use of the caliber across NATO. That choice should simplify ammunition commonality and logistics while retaining a modern medium-caliber direct-fire capability. The D Series concept also supports advanced sensors, digital functions and anti-tank guided weapon integration, reflecting BAE Systems Hägglunds’ ability to evolve an established platform around the specific requirements of individual armies. BAE Systems

One of the most important features observed by Army Recognition on the Czech CV9030 MkIV displayed in Prague is the Iron Fist hard-kill Active Protection System, which adds an active interception layer around the armored vehicle. Iron Fist should not be described simply as an anti-drone system: Elbit Systems defines it as a 360-degree active protection solution designed against anti-tank rockets, anti-tank guided missiles, unmanned aerial systems, loitering munitions and kinetic energy threats. Its counter-UAS capability is nevertheless particularly significant in the current battlefield environment, where armored vehicles face increasing exposure to reconnaissance drones, one-way attack systems and loitering threats in addition to conventional anti-armor weapons.

The Czech configuration presented by BAE Systems also highlights a jammer capability for counter-IED and counter-UAS missions. These systems perform different defensive functions: Iron Fist represents a hard kill layer intended to intercept an approaching threat, while jamming can provide an electronic layer intended to disrupt selected threats before physical interception becomes necessary. The Czech Ministry of Defence has stated that all vehicles will be prepared for jammer installation, while the actual systems can be fitted according to mission and deployment requirements. Taken together, the architecture points toward a layered survivability philosophy combining passive armor, sensors, electronic countermeasures and active protection rather than relying on armor alone. Elbit Systems

The Czech industrial dimension is equally central to the program. At least 40 percent of the contract value is committed to Czech industrial participation, with BAE Systems Hägglunds coordinating a network led by five principal strategic partners: VOP CZ, Excalibur Army, VR Group, Ray Service and Meopta. The Czech Ministry of Defence identifies VOP CZ as a major vehicle integrator that will manufacture vehicle chassis, assemble vehicles from components supplied by other partners and verify their functionality, giving Czech industry a role that extends well beyond basic subcontracting. BAE Systems information presented in Prague also states that two of the seven Czech variants are being developed locally by VOP CZ and that training simulators are being developed in Czechia by VR Group.

Additional Czech companies are participating in communications, C4I, jamming systems, software and mechanical production. This makes the program strategically important not only as an acquisition of new combat vehicles but also as an effort to transfer manufacturing knowledge, integration capability and long-term support capacity into the Czech defense industrial base. For BAE Systems Hägglunds, successfully combining a mature CV90 platform with Czech production, national industrial participation and a highly customized combat configuration demonstrates a professional approach to localization that can strengthen both operational capability and security of supply.

The Czech CV9030 MkIV displayed in Prague illustrates how infantry fighting vehicle modernization is moving beyond the traditional balance of armor, mobility and firepower. The combination of a 1,000 horsepower powertrain, D Series turret, 30 mm armament, scalable electronic architecture, Iron Fist active protection and provisions for counter-UAS electronic warfare gives the Czech Army a platform designed with substantial room for technological evolution. At the same time, the decision to produce 207 vehicles in the Czech Republic and embed Czech companies deeply in integration, development, training and support gives the program a national industrial dimension that could prove increasingly important during long term operations or periods of disrupted supply.

Future Forces Exhibition & Forum provides an appropriate international stage for this debut, bringing military users, industry and technology specialists together around precisely these emerging requirements. With Army Recognition Group present in Prague as an Official Media Partner to report directly on the latest defense developments, the Czech CV90 presentation stands out as a clear example of how European armored forces are adapting to a battlefield increasingly shaped by drones, electronic warfare, active protection, digital integration and industrial resilience.

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Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group

Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.