Getting the Assembly, Integration and Testing (AIT) facility ready for operation is the first and fundamental step towards the successful implementation of the CV90 programme

As the main industry partner on the Slovak Army's tracked armoured capability programme, ZTS - ŠPECIÁL JSC, operating under MOD-run DMD GROUP JSC, is planning to make several major investments in the production and assembly facility for the Slovak CV90 MkIV tracked infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs). One of the main priorities is to build infrastructure for the production of some of the vehicle's systems and for the full assembly, integration and testing (AIT) of the CV90s.

The process of preparing the AIT site includes formwork and concrete pour across an area of 1,700 square metres, the procurement of lifts and cranes, and the construction of special warehouses, offices and lavatories for new employees. So far, up to €0.6m has been spent on getting the AIT site and administrative spaces ready for operation. What's more, ZTS - ŠPECIÁL will spend an additional €0.8 or €1m to complete infrastructure works in the coming period.

Director General of DMD GROUP JSC Štefan Škultéty said: "What ZTS - ŠPECIÁL expects from this unique and financially most significant project in the Slovak Armyʼs history is that its production will be extended and that it will offer more employment opportunities, including in the field of project management and research and development (R&D) on defence and security technology."

Working closely with BAE Systems, ZTS - ŠPECIÁL JSC will be responsible for the entire project management process and the full assembly, integration, testing and handover of the CV90s to the SVK MOD and the Armed Forces. Thanks to the tracked armoured capability programme, 50 new jobs will be created and filled, whether it be production and assembly line workers, process engineers, project managers or planners.