FMV signs agreement for more automatic carbines
FMV calls for an additional 22,500 automatic carbines 24 (AK 24) to the Armed Forces from the framework agreement previously signed with Sako.
- The first 7,500 weapons will be delivered in 2025 and the following year another 15,000 will be delivered, says Anders Östberg, FMV's project manager small arms.
Jonas Lotsne, FMV's head of the military equipment business area, signs an agreement for more automatic carbines with the Finnish manufacturer Sako. Photo: Sako
Jonas Lotsne, FMV's director of operations for army equipment, and Jonny Lindfors, head of the armed forces, visited the Finnish supplier Sako. Photo: Sako
Before the end of the year, FMV must check delivery and deliver 7,300 pieces of AK 24 to the Swedish Armed Forces. Photo: Sako
The order was made during a joint visit by Jonas Lotsne, FMV's head of operations area army materiel, and Jonny Lindfors, head of the Armed Forces, to the Finnish supplier Sako.
- New firearms for the Armed Forces are a priority project for both me and the army commander. Monitoring the deliveries on site and in a positive dialogue with the supplier therefore feels urgent, says Jonas Lotsne, head of army materiel at FMV.
In the spring of 2023, FMV signed a framework agreement with Sako on firearms for the Armed Forces. The framework agreement, which runs over ten years, is part of a joint Swedish-Finnish procurement of small arms systems with associated technology. The intention is to create security of supply for both Finland and Sweden and to improve interoperability by having the countries use the same types of weapons with the same types of ammunition.
- The first to be delivered to the Swedish Armed Forces is the AK 24 in caliber 5.56, which will replace the Swedish Armed Forces' current automatic carbine. It is a more modern and lighter weapon with better ergonomics and better adjustment possibilities according to body size, says Anders Östberg.
Tests and squad trials
During 2024, FMV has test-fired the AK 24 at FMV's test site in Karlsborg to check that the weapon meets the requirements set by the Swedish Armed Forces. During the so-called verification and validation of the weapon, a wear shooting is carried out, which means that the FMV during the test period fires 30,000 rounds with a weapon. The number of shots corresponds to the life of the weapon. The purpose is to ensure that all parts last, that nothing breaks and that the weapon functions as required. In addition, 200 weapons are used in troop trials, where soldiers from four units have been using the AK 24 as a test and trial weapon since last spring.
- So far our tests and troop trials have gone well, the weapon fulfills what the supplier promised. But as in all squad trials, details emerge that are difficult to predict and need to be adjusted. The supplier is now fixing these details, says Anders Östberg.
Delivery according to plan
FMV has recently received the first delivery of series-produced AK 24 and further deliveries will come in the autumn. Before the end of the year, FMV must check delivery and deliver 7,300 pieces of AK 24 to the Swedish Armed Forces.
- The delivery is going according to plan, both in terms of deliveries from Sako to FMV and from FMV to the Armed Forces, says Anders Östberg.
The order for more AK 24s that FMV has now placed means that the Swedish Armed Forces will receive an additional 22,500 AK 24s over the next two years.
