According to a report in Defence, the Latvian Armed Forces have taken delivery of their first Hunter infantry fighting vehicle, a tracked armored combat vehicle based on the ASCOD platform design by General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS), approximately 20 months after the country signed its initial contract for the project.
Known in Latvian as “Mednieks,” the new IFV is a customized variant of the ASCOD platform manufactured by GDELS-Santa Bárbara Sistemas in Spain, tailored to Latvia’s operational requirements. The vehicle was officially handed over on October 7 in the presence of Defense Minister Raivis Melnis, with GDELS announcing this week that the platform was ready for delivery roughly 18 months after the formal program commenced.
Latvia ordered a total of 84 Hunter vehicles across two separate tranches of 42 units each, signed in January and June 2025, under an overall procurement program valued at nearly €800 million (approximately $929 million). The Latvian Ministry of Defense plans to receive all 84 vehicles by 2029, though neither the ministry nor the manufacturer has disclosed precise numbers slated for delivery by the end of this year.
The platform is operated by a crew of three and can carry up to six fully equipped infantrymen, featuring armor protection compliant with NATO Level 4 standards. Its weapon suite includes an autocannon, anti-tank guided missiles, and a machine gun, all mounted on an unmanned UT30 Mk2 turret manufactured by Israel’s Elbit Systems.
The vehicle’s name was selected by soldiers of the Latvian Land Forces’ Mechanized Infantry Brigade, the unit designated to field the IFVs operational service. The new Hunter vehicles are slated to gradually replace Latvia’s aging fleet of British-made CVR(T) tracked reconnaissance vehicles, which were acquired second-hand over the past decade.
Final assembly is conducted on Latvian soil, with GDELS providing the hulls and major assemblies. The first Hunter hull arrived in Latvia in June to initiate local assembly operations. Latvia also signed a dedicated maintenance subcontract in September 2025 running through 2037, with the program mandating a local industrial participation rate of at least 30 percent.
GDELS noted that the program is expanding into counter-UAS capabilities. In August, the Latvian Ministry of Defense tested GDELS-made counter-drone systems mounted on the Hunter at the Ādaži military base, although no formal decision has been announced regarding a fleet-wide rollout. Latvia joined the international ASCOD user group last year via a letter of intent with Spain and Austria, which operate the platform, to collaborate on training, support, and future upgrades, while the defense ministry reiterated that the remaining vehicles will be delivered in batches through 2029.