Sweden commits largest military aid package to Ukraine with PBV 302s

Sweden will transfer all its PBV 302 armoured personnel carriers to Ukraine as part of the upcoming 16th aid package. This Scandinavian country is preparing the Ukrainian army to fight against Russia. We outline the capabilities of the PBV 302 and explain what other Swedish weapons will soon be sent to the front.

“Sweden will transfer the entire Swedish fleet of Pansarbandvagn 302 (Pbv 302) to support the formation of new brigades of the Ukrainian military," the Swedish government announced in an official statement.

Defense Minister Pal Jonson added that the new aid package will be the largest ever prepared by Sweden. Its value is estimated at as much as 13.3 billion kronor, or about GBP 1 billion. This is due to its content, which will include a lot of heavy and valuable military equipment. The new package is set to include PBV 302 armoured personnel carriers, various types of ammunition, and even two ASC 890 early warning and control aircraft, which will provide Ukraine with "a completely new capability in radar surveillance."

The PBV 302 is an armoured personnel carrier designed in Sweden. It was produced from 1966 to 1971, with several hundred units rolling out of the arms factories, which, despite the passage of years, did not go beyond Sweden. The PBV 302 was the main vehicle of the Swedish mechanized infantry until the introduction of modern CV90 vehicles. The PBV 302 uses a tracked propulsion system and a Volvo-Penta diesel engine, allowing it to move efficiently in difficult terrain, including water. It reaches a maximum speed of 66 km/h (in water up to about 10 km/h).

The PBV 302 measures 5.4 metres in length and can transport up to 10 soldiers (in addition to a crew of three). As for armament, the Swedes mounted a 20 mm automatic cannon with a cache of over 500 rounds. Additional equipment includes a smoke grenade launcher.

In addition to the personnel carriers, the Swedes have pledged to provide the Ukrainians with spare parts, maintenance equipment, and ammunition, which will allow the PBV 302 to be fully utilized immediately.

In addition to the PBV 302, the new aid package from Sweden will also include an undisclosed number of advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles, AMRAAM. These are very valuable because they can be used not only in aircraft but also in ground-based NASAMS air defence systems.

The defending army can also count on 155 mm artillery ammunition, shortages of which Ukrainians have been facing since early January 2024, and even two ASC 890s. These are early warning and control aircraft built on the basis of the Saab 340 passenger plane. They are machines that can stay in the air for about 6-7 hours. They achieve a cruising speed of 467 km/h. They have radars with Erieye AESA phased array electronic scanning (Active Electronically Scanned Array), allowing them to monitor the airspace up to several hundred miles.

Ukraine has not received similar support from allies so far. Aircraft of this type are precious. Even countries with significant defensive capabilities do not have many such units. The Swedes know this will temporarily weaken their potential, but they already plan to rectify the situation. They will buy additional GlobalEye aircraft.

"The donation will entail a temporary decrease of Sweden’s defence capability, which will be addressed by procuring additional S 106 GlobalEye aircraft and advancing previous orders for two new GlobalEye aircraft," the Swedish Ministry of Defence announced.