On August 31, 2023, Finland’s state-owned Patria Group and Japan Steel Works Ltd. (JSW) announced a licensing agreement for the local production of Patria AMV XP 8×8 armored vehicles in Japan. This development is part of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force’s Wheeled Armored Personnel Carrier (WAPC) program and represents a significant milestone in modernizing Japan’s military capabilities.
In December 2022, the Patria AMV XP 8×8 was selected to replace the existing Type-96 8×8 Armored Personnel Carriers currently in service with the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. Although the exact number of vehicles to be produced and the financial terms of the agreement remain undisclosed, the choice of Patria’s vehicle highlights its quality and suitability for contemporary warfare.
The AMV XP is an upgraded version of the original Patria AMV, which was first unveiled in 2013 at the DSEI international defense exhibition in the United Kingdom. In August 2022, Slovakia and Finland, in collaboration with Patria, signed a government-to-government agreement for the acquisition of 76 Patria 8×8 AMV XP Armored Modular Vehicles for the Slovak Republic’s armed forces, further demonstrating the vehicle’s growing appeal.