Swedish defence company Saab has received orders from Latvian Armed Forces and Estonian Armed Forces for deliveries of Carl-Gustaf M4. Deliveries will take place in 2021-2024. The orders are placed within a framework agreement signed by the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) in June 2019, which allows Sweden, Latvia and Estonia to place orders for Carl-Gustaf M4 weapon systems during a ten-year period.
“We are pleased to announce Latvia and Estonia as our latest customers on Carl-Gustaf M4. Both nations have a history of more than two decades of Saab’s Carl-Gustaf system. We look forward to further strengthen their ground combat capabilities with the latest version of the system,” says Görgen Johansson, head of Saab’s business area Dynamics.
“The new generation anti-tank grenade launcher Carl-Gustaf M4 is definitely a big step forward for a soldier who has been trained in this field and has dealt with older versions, the M2, especially in terms of walking with a weapon. The new weapon is half as light. This joint procurement is a very good example of cooperation with neighbouring countries, where the parties reached the most economically advantageous and best deal. Co-operation between defense countries is one of the most important ways to increase the defense capability of our region,” says Ramil Lipp, Chief of Category (Armament) for the Estonian Centre for Defence Investment.
Acquisition of the most recent generation recoilless rifle marks another key milestone in Baltic and Nordic cooperation. Joint procurement provides significant economic benefits to both Latvia and Estonia, as well as increasing regional interoperability and cross-training with our allied forces. Procurement of Carl-Gustaf M4 together with earlier ammunition procurements also greatly improves operational capabilities of the Latvian National Armed Forces and paves way for long-term modernization of our armed forces,” says Artis Pabriks, minister of defence of Latvia.
Carl-Gustaf M4 is the latest version of the portable, shoulder-launched, multi-role weapon system. It gives users a wide range of engagement options and allows troops to remain agile and effective in any scenario. It builds on the system’s formidable capabilities, offering a higher degree of accuracy, lighter construction and compatibility with future innovations. The M4 is also compatible with intelligent sighting systems and future technology developments, such as programmable ammunition. Since the launch in 2014, Saab has signed contracts with thirteen different nations for the Carl-Gustaf M4.
