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EVPÚ Defence CMS-1 Panoramic Commander’s Sight (2025)
Introduction:
Hello and welcome to my 13th suggestion!
After the trials of the CV90 Mk. IV (CMS-1) by Czechia in 2021 and with it being shown off at events subsequently, it would later in 2025 be debuted in a new configuration. The CMS-1 independent commander’s sight has been removed from the roof of the turret where it was located between the SAAB UTAAS sight and the commander’s cupola. It has now been relocated to the rear of the turret where you would normally have some storage on the back of the turret. It has also been placed up on a mast so it can be raised up and lowered down. This once again sparked the idea of this becoming the Czech CV90 that was going to be produced by VOP CZ. Later in 2025, the first PBVP CV9030CZ would be revealed to the public, and it does not look like this CV.90 Mk. IV config. Some aspects have been carried over, like the CMS-1, but that is where the similarities end.
History:
When the Czech Republic started to look for a replacement for its fleet of BMP-2s, BAE Land Systems Hägglunds would be quick to adapt the CV90 platform to meet the requirements of the replacement. There would be two prototypes created, one named CV90 CZ and the second one named CV90 CZ r. Both were based on the CV90 Mk. IV. The CV90 CZ would be based on the regular Mk. IV, while the CV90 CZ r would be based on the Mk. IV Armadillo chassis. These would be trialed by Czechia against the ASCOD 2, KF31 Lynx, and PUMA IFV. The trials were satisfactory for the CV90 prototypes, but a new prototype would be used for the trials in 2021. This prototype was the first iteration of the CV90 Mk. IV with the CMS-1 commander sight but located on the turret’s roof near the front. This version would be, as stated, trialed in 2021 by Czechia against the ASCOD 2, now revised, and the KF41 Lynx. The trials were successful, and the CV90 platform was chosen in 2022 to serve as the base of the vehicle to replace the fleet of BMP-2s, with VOP CZ being designated to locally produce 350 vehicles.
Production would not start for the CV90 in Czechia until this year, and before the finished configuration was shown off, the CV90 Mk. IV (CMS-1) from 2021 would be at NATO Days 2023 held in Poland. This fueled the idea of what the Czech CV90 would look like when they would start rolling off the production line. But at NATO Days 2025, this CV90 would be seen now with the CMS-1 located on a mast mount on the rear of the turret. This allows the sight to be raised and lowered instead of it being stuck at the same height all the time like it was previously on this CV90. It had also gotten the newer Mk. IV marketing camouflage scheme that does not use as bright colors as the previous camouflage used on it from 2021 to at least 2023. But this one again fueled the idea that the Czech CV90 would just be a box standard CV90 Mk. IV using the E-series turret but with the addition of the CMS-1 commander sight and other internal components so it would be compatible with the Czech army.
Later in 2025, we would finally get the first public images of the PBVP CV9030CZ. It is a CV90 Mk. IV-based vehicle, but it uses the D-series turret instead of the E-series. It also gets access to an Active Protection System (APS), which all previous CV90s trialed by Czechia lacked, except the CV90 CZ, which was shown with the Iron Fist APS. All of this might seem like a very normal turn of events, but there was a bit of a scandal near the beginning of the production of the CV90 in Czechia where a CV90 was shown off ot the Czech military. They thought it was one variant when in reality it was a totally different variant. It was a bit of a mess, but we will get to that story someday. This specific configuration turns out to be now more of a marketing tool, with the CMS-1 sight becoming a standard option for any military looking into buying the CV90.
Spoiler
Armor
The armor is the same as a regular CV90 Mk. IV; it has the AMAP-B applique armor on the sides and the lower front plate, which does give it a bit more protection.
Chassis
- Front: 20 + AMAP-B
- Sides: 16 + AMAP-B
- Rear: 20
Turret
- Front: 20
- Sides: 20
- Rear: 20
Crew
Crew consists of 3 members: Commander, Gunner, Driver. Commander and gunner are seated in the turret while the driver sits in the hull.
- Commander
- EVPÚ Defence CMS-1 Panoramic Commander’s Sight on a mast, being able to be raised or lowered.
- Sensors: Cooled MCT thermal imaging camera and a high-definition daylight color TV camera.
- Zoom / Field of View: Continuous optical zoom on the daylight channel and multi-field-of-view settings on the thermal channel.
- Target Identification Range: Designed to provide full-weather battlefield target recognition and identification matching modern infantry fighting vehicle requirements.
- Laser Rangefinder: Present and integrated.
- Stabilization: EVPÚ 2-axis gyro-stabilized pan-and-tilt positioner.
- Traverse: Continuous 360° traverse.
- EVPÚ Defence CMS-1 Panoramic Commander’s Sight on a mast, being able to be raised or lowered.
- Gunner
- SAAB Universal Tank and Anti-Aircraft Fire Control System (UTAAS)
- Sensors: Standard daylight TV camera, 3rd generation thermal imaging camera (operating in the 8–12 μm or 3–5 μm bands).
- Zoom / Field of View: Fixed daylight channel provides an 8° Field of View with 8x magnification.
- Laser Rangefinder: Effective up to and beyond 10,000 meters.
- Stabilization: 2-axis gyro-stabilized mirror top-module, providing elevation coverage from -10° to +45° and azimuth deflection of ±18°.
- SAAB Universal Tank and Anti-Aircraft Fire Control System (UTAAS)
- Driver
- Forward-Looking Infrared (FLIR) camera of unknown type.
Armaments
Main armament
- 30 mm Bushmaster 2 Mk. 44
Ammuntion
- APDS
- MK258 (APFSDS)
- MK266 (HEI-T)
Secondary armaments
- ATGM
- 2 Ready-to-Launch Spike-LR II.
- 7.62 FN-MAG
- 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges.
- Smoke grenades: 16
Mobility:
The mobility of the CV90 Mk. IV (CMS-1) trialed in 2025 is very similar to, if not identical to, the CV90 Mk. IV except for the mast mounting for the independent commander’s sight. The mast and sight will increase the weight of the vehicle compared to the CV90 Mk. IV and CV90 Mk. IV (CMS-1) (2021), but it should not be affected more than 500kg, though that is just a guess of mine. What the mast weighs in at is unknown at the time of writing this.
Engine
- Scania DS16 V8 diesel
- 1,000 hp
Gearbox
- Upgraded Perkins X-300 transmission
- 4 forward gears
- 2 reverse gears
Mass
- ~37.5 tons
Power-to-weight
- ~26,66 hp/ton
Sources
BAE Systems has expanded the portfolio of Czech companies that will cooperate on the production of (not only) CV90 IFV for the Czech Armed Forces | CZDEFENCE - czech army and defence magazine
NATO Days 2025: CMS-1 Commander sight on CV90 | EVPÚ Defence
https://militarnyi.com/en/news/the-first-cv90-ifv-for-the-czech-republic-was-manufactured-by-swedish-bae-systems-hagglunds-ab/
CMS-1 Commander Sight | EVPÚ Defence
EVPÚ Defence to supply commander sights for the Czech CV90 programme | EVPÚ Defence
EVPÚ Defence to supply CMS-1 commander sights for Czech CV90 vehicles - Defence Industry Europe
UTAAS Tank and Anti-Aircraft System | Saab
Another significant milestone in the CV90 programme for the Czech Armed Forces: soldiers saw a mock-up of the vehicle as it will be taken over by the Czech Armed Forces in 2026 | CZDEFENCE - czech army and defence magazine
BAE Systems' CV90 offer meets all key MoD requirements | CZDEFENCE - czech army and defence magazine
File:CV90 CZ - IDET 2017.JPG - Wikipedia
File:CV90 CZr with MCT-30 RWS.JPG - Wikimedia Commons
Ascod, CV9O a Lynx jdou do boje. Obrana začne testovat pásové obrněnce - iDNES.cz
BAE Systems unveils CV90 CZ family of vehicles at IDET ‘2017
https://defence24.pl/przemysl/czechy-wybieraja-nastepce-bvp-2-cztery-propozycje-i-kontrakt-wart-ponad-2-mld-euro-analiza
https://www.edrmagazine.eu/cv90-and-bvs10-increasing-production-and-looking-to-the-future
Czech Army tests three new tracked armored IFVs to replace old BVP-2
https://www.baesystems.com/en-us/product/cv90-mkiv
Stridsfordon 90 – Wikipedia
Combat Vehicle 90 - Wikipedia
CV 90 Mk.IV | War Thunder Wiki
FN MAG - Wikipedia
Advanced Modular Armor Protection - Wikipedia
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