First Stridsvagn 123A delivered as Sweden’s tank upgrade begins

KNDS has delivered the first upgraded Stridsvagn 122 main battle tank to Sweden, marking the start of the most extensive modernisation of the fleet since the type entered service in the late 1990s. 

Once rebuilt, Sweden’s Leopard 2-based tanks will be redesignated Stridsvagn 123A and equipped with advanced sensors, enhanced protection and the ability to fire new ammunition types.

According to Sweden’s Defence Materiel Administration (FMV), the programme represents the most significant upgrade undertaken on the platform since its introduction into service.

- If you compare the Stridsvagn 122 to a Volvo 240 in terms of technology and functionality, you could say that this modification turns it into a Volvo XC60, said Niclas Lindberg, Head of Section at FMV’s tank division.

At KNDS’s facility in Munich, the tanks are stripped down and rebuilt with new systems designed to improve both combat effectiveness and survivability.

The Swedish Armed Forces’ focus is on improved lethality and protection. The vehicles will receive, among other upgrades, a new weapon system with a longer gun barrel, modern sensors including thermal sights and cameras, and new digital subsystems.

Combined with a digital fire-control system, the upgraded weapon system will enable the use of new ammunition types. 

- We are replacing obsolete subsystems and removing Swedish-specific solutions wherever possible and appropriate to improve interoperability with our NATO allies, Lindberg said.

The upgraded vehicles will carry the designation Stridsvagn 123A. In parallel, FMV has ordered 44 newly built tanks, designated Stridsvagn 123B, to expand the fleet.