Latvian ground forces will receive ASCOD BMP

On November 15, 2024, General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) officially announced Latvia's decision to select the ASCOD tracked infantry fighting vehicle for its armed forces. This confirmation follows a previous statement from the Latvian Ministry of Defense on November 11, 2024, about ongoing negotiations with GDELS. The selection of ASCOD followed a rigorous international competition and functional testing process, marking a significant milestone in Latvia's efforts to increase the mobility, firepower, and protection of its armed forces.

ASCOD is a new generation tracked armoured vehicle developed jointly by Santa Bárbara Sistemas in Spain and Steyr in Austria, now part of GDELS. Designed to meet the requirements of modern missions, it has a modular structure that adapts to different roles, including armoured personnel carrier (APC) and infantry fighting vehicle (IFV). Designed for difficult terrain, it has a top speed of 70 km/h and a range of 500 km, powered by a 600 kW MTU V-8 engine or an 810 kW SCANIA V-8 engine combined with a Renk automatic transmission. Its torsion bar suspension system and dual rubber wheels ensure optimum manoeuvrability and stability.

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ASCOD offers flexible weapon configurations. The APC variant is equipped with a remote-controlled battle station with a 12.7 mm machine gun, while the BMP version includes a turret with a 30 or 40 mm gun and anti-tank missile launchers. For protection, the ASCOD uses modular steel armor capable of achieving STANAG 4569 level 6, making it resistant to mine blasts and rocket launchers. It also includes active and passive protection systems, 360° situational awareness and a nuclear, radiological, biological and chemical (NRBC) protection system to protect its crew in a variety of operational conditions.

ASCOD is already in operation in several countries, including Spain, Austria, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Philippines . Developed in the 1990s, it entered service in 2002 and includes models such as PIZARRO for Spain, ULAN for Austria and AJAX for the UK. Its modular design provides flexibility and scalability to effectively meet current and future operational requirements.

ASCOD architecture provides interoperability with NATO systems and integration of subsystems from multiple manufacturers. These features make it a relevant solution for solving modern military tasks.