Swedish armored beast: CV90 strikes fear in Kursk frontline

Ukrainians are continuing their operation in the Kursk region, utilizing equipment received from Western countries. The Swedish mechanized infantry combat vehicle (MICV) Strf 9040C / CV90 is one of the most interesting vehicles. Here’s what it can do.

In the Kursk region, one of the Strf 9040C / CV90 MICVs donated to Ukraine by Sweden has been spotted. It is the MICV with the greatest firepower being used in Ukraine, which induces panic among the Russians. According to Ukrainians, the mere presence of the Swedish vehicle can cause even the increasingly scarce T-90M tank to leave its hiding place.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) received the Stridsfordon 9040C MICV from Sweden. This is currently the latest Swedish variant of the Stridsfordon 90 MICV, also known as the CV90, which was introduced into service in the 1990s.

CV90s are heavy, tracked combat vehicles with a curb weight reaching up to 84,000 pounds after mounting additional armor. This is almost as much as tanks from the T-72 family (just over 88,000 pounds). The front armor of the Strf 9040C / CV90, even in its base version, can withstand fire from 30 mm caliber guns, and with the addition of an extra armor package, even more.

Additionally, the extra armor package protects 30 mm caliber guns even from the sides, which is rare for mechanized infantry combat vehicles. It also offers good protection against handheld anti-tank weapons and bomblets with single high-explosive anti-tank warheads, often used on FPV drones. The crew consists of three soldiers and a maximum of seven infantry soldiers.

Another advantage of the Strf 9040C / CV90 is its armament, which includes a 40 mm automatic cannon. Although it indirectly originated from World War II’s Bofors gun (hence its use of interchangeable magazines), its caliber and ammunition make it very lethal.

With armor-piercing discarding sabot (APFSDS-T) ammunition, the cannon easily penetrates over 4 inches of armor steel from 1 mile. This allows for effortlessly combating Russian BMP-1/2/3 at very long distances, and even tanks under favorable conditions.

The second type is programmable 3P ammunition from BAE Systems containing a charge of 1,100 tungsten balls. Its operation is based on programming the projectile’s fuse to explode at a specified distance in a specific manner, creating a shower of 2,500 fragments that can easily penetrate helmets and soft body armor.

There are six operation modes available, tailored for explosions, e.g., with delay after penetrating a wall or going through a window, explosion over a trench, or creating a wall of fragments useful for engaging helicopters.

Interestingly, Ukrainians have also learned to use this 40 mm automatic cannon as artillery with a range up to 4 miles, based on targeting data from drones. This allows for shelling Russians from behind tree lines or hills. This is complemented by an advanced fire control system with thermal imaging and a multispectral camouflage visible on the vehicles, which not only breaks up the vehicle's silhouette but also reduces its thermal and radar signature.

The result is a very well-balanced vehicle that provides excellent protection for the crew and has tremendous firepower. It lacks only "fire and forget" anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) launchers. This final aspect is being addressed in Sweden or Denmark by integrating the Akeron MP ATGM system.