Europe Orders 1,000 Tank-Like Minivans to Brave Arctic Traffic Jams

KEY POINTS

•Patria, Finland’s leading defense firm, is expanding its Hämeenlinna factory to boost production of the 6×6 armored vehicle.
•Since 2020, nearly 1,000 vehicle orders have come from NATO countries including Sweden, Germany, Latvia, and Denmark due to rising demand.
•The CAVS 6×6 can transport 10 troops with close quarters, boasts level 4 NATO armor, supports -40°F temperatures, and floats with propellers at 5 mph.

Patria, Finland's heavyweight defense auteur from Hämeenlinna, is busy clearing rocks with actual explosives to double down on its 'minivan' production. Their CAVS 6×6, a 25-foot-long, 17-ton armored troop carrier born from a 2020 Finland-Latvia collab, proudly hauls 10 troops—knees touching, no leg room complaints—through mud, snow, rivers, and occasionally tea time. It boasts $1.75 million price tags per passenger unit handed out generously to NATO nations like Sweden (415 ordered), Germany (an eye-watering 876 at $2.3 billion), and Denmark (doing their bit with 129). Speed up to 60 mph on land, a leisurely 5 mph afloat via propellers, and climate control tolerating -40°F so Arctic boredom stays just nap-worthy. Meanwhile, the UK and Norway hang in limbo, probably pondering if armored minivans double as caravans.