German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) is moving to significantly enhance the combat capability of its future fleet of Patria 6×6 CAVS armored personnel carriers by integrating advanced anti-tank guided missiles. According to defense outlet Hartpunkt, a portion of the vehicles destined for the Bundeswehr will be equipped with MELLS LR2 anti-tank missiles, enabling the platform to engage and destroy heavily armored threats, including modern main battle tanks such as Russia’s T-90M. The upgrade represents a notable shift in how Germany intends to employ its new wheeled armored vehicles on the modern battlefield. The integration will be carried out using the Protector RS4 remotely operated weapon station developed by Norwegian defense company Kongsberg. This turret system allows crews to operate weapons from inside the armored vehicle, significantly improving crew protection while maintaining combat effectiveness. Under the planned configuration, the RS4 turret will mount a single MELLS LR2 launch tube, providing Patria 6×6 vehicles with a precision anti-armor strike capability that is typically associated with specialized anti-tank platforms.
Vehicles configured with the missile system are expected to include reconnaissance armored group variants within the Bundeswehr’s future force structure. By equipping reconnaissance elements with long-range anti-tank missiles, German forces could provide forward units with the ability to detect, track, and engage enemy armored formations before they close the distance. This concept reflects a broader European trend of enhancing reconnaissance and light armored units with powerful guided weapons to counter heavily mechanized threats. The Protector RS4 configuration reportedly requires manual reloading from outside the vehicle once the single launch tube has been fired. While this limits sustained firing capability compared with dedicated missile carriers, the solution offers a relatively lightweight and modular approach to adding anti-tank firepower to an armored personnel carrier platform. Similar configurations have already been selected by Denmark, and testing of the system was successfully completed in November 2025, demonstrating the viability of the integration.
The MELLS (Multi-Role Light Guided Missile System) LR2 missile itself represents the European version of the Israeli Spike LR2 anti-tank guided missile, produced locally through the EuroSpike joint venture. The weapon offers a maximum engagement range of approximately 5,500 meters and features improved electro-optical guidance systems designed to enhance target identification and precision engagement. Its tandem-shaped charge warhead allows the missile to defeat modern explosive reactive armor, enabling it to penetrate and destroy advanced armored vehicles. Spike LR2 systems are already widely used across Europe and have been integrated onto a variety of armored vehicles and ground platforms. Their modular design allows for installation on both man-portable launchers and remotely operated weapon stations. Interestingly, Spain recently selected the system as part of a procurement shift following the political cancellation of another Spike-related contract, a decision that drew attention due to the close technological lineage and Israeli industrial involvement behind both programs.
The Patria 6×6 (Patria XA-300) is a six-wheeled armoured personnel carrier produced by the Finnish defence industry company Patria. The basic platform can be tailored to meet varying user requirements by many optional features e.g. swimming system, winch, upgraded armour protection and diverse weapon systems. Available weapons range from machine gun up to 25/30 mm medium calibre direct fire weapon systems and Patria Nemo 120 mm turreted mortar system. Patria 6×6 chassis is based on Patria AMVXP structures and components. The expected service life of the vehicle is more than 30 years. Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS) programme began in 2020 as a multinational cooperation initiative. The programme was initially established by Finland and Latvia, with the objective of introducing a jointly developed state-of-the-art new armoured vehicle system. The CAVS programme has since expanded to include several other countries. As of now, the participating countries are Finland, Latvia, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, Norway and UK. The selection was made of the Patria 6×6 vehicle as the platform for the programme.
