At the Arctic Event 2025 in Lapland, the Finnish defence group Patria unveiled its latest defence innovations, highlighting two major systems: the ARVE truck-mounted 155 mm self-propelled howitzer and the FAMOUS light armored tracked vehicle prototype. Also in Rovaniemi, Patria showcased its passive air surveillance platform MUSCL.
At the Arctic Event 2025 in Lapland, organized by, a new self-propelled 155mm howitzer prototype named ARVE was unveiled. Mounted on a Sisu E13TP 8×8 truck, ARVE is not yet an operational system, but more of a technology demonstrator. Similar concepts already exist in several European countries, including France, the Czech Republic and Sweden. The purpose of a wheeled self-propelled artillery system is to provide operational and strategic mobility.
Now, ARVE is re-using existing howitzers, but in the future, new ones may be produced. Both solutions are feasible, according to Jukka Holkeri, Executive Vice President of Global Division at Patria. The first set of ARVEs will be produced for the Finnish Defence Forces, there is interest also on the export market. Demand is rising but competition is fierce.
In terms of air transportability, a vehicle-weapon combination of this size requires the heaviest transport aircraft capacity available. Demand for wheeled artillery is growing alongside tracked systems such as armoured howitzers, which offer strong tactical mobility. These systems are complementary rather than mutually exclusive.
The general trend across all artillery platforms is to develop equipment capable of relocating rapidly between firing positions—essentially, self-propelled guns.
The elevation angle of ARVE ranges from -3° to +60°, and loading is done manually using a flick rammer. The system can fire up to eight rounds per minute, with a burst of three rounds in the first 15 seconds, 8 rounds/minute max and 2 rounds/min sustained. The sustained rate of fire is two rounds per minute, and the crew consists of six personnel. Traverse in indirect fire is from -90° to +50°. Its range is up to 40 km with standard ammunition.
Arctic-Ready Armoured Vehicle to the Test
Patria showcased its All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) concept, developed under the European FAMOUS programme (Future Highly Mobile Augmented Armoured Systems), in Arctic terrain conditions at the Rovajärvi range. The ATV had already been on display at the Eurosatory exhibition in Paris in summer 2024. This tracked armoured personnel carrier is designed to operate in all types of terrain and offers excellent tactical and operational mobility. The rubber-tracked vehicle has been specifically designed with a focus on survivability, cost-effectiveness, and modularity.
FAMOUS involves 9 countries – Finland, Belgium, Denmark, Latvia, Germany, France, Estonia, Greece and Spain – and more than 20 defence companies in the industrial consortium. Its first phase, EDIDP FAMOUS, focused on research and assessing the needs of member states. Based on this, potential vehicle and system concepts were explored. The second phase, EDF FAMOUS2, continues with more detailed design work, prototype production, and testing. This phase is scheduled to conclude in November 2026.
Mobile Mortar That Punches Above Its Weight
At the Rovajärvi range Patria also showcased its NEMO system with a modern 120 mm mortar turret built for today’s fast-moving, high-risk battlefield. Remotely operated and turreted, it’s designed to deliver accurate indirect fire support—but with direct-fire capability as well, it can hold its own in a close fight too.
NEMO’s standout feature is its ability to perform Multiple Rounds Simultaneous Impact (MRSI) fire missions—up to five rounds hitting the target at once.
The turret and its armoured platform protect the crew from ballistic threats, mines, IEDs, and battlefield contaminants, all within the protection level of the host vehicle. Light and compact, the turret can be fitted to a wide range of platforms—light tracked vehicles, wheeled 6×6 or 8×8 armoured carriers, and even naval vessels.
MUSCL – The Radar That Keeps Quiet and Sees It All
Showcased to international press at Patria’s Arctic Event in Lapland, the Patria MUSCL (Multi-Static Coherent Location) system is not your average radar. It’s a passive air surveillance platform —meaning it watches without shouting — perfect for modern warfare where staying hidden is half the battle.
No Emissions, No Footprint, No Warnings for the Enemy
Unlike conventional radars, Patria’s MUSCL doesn’t emit its own signals. Instead, it piggybacks on existing broadcast signals in the environment—TV, radio, mobile networks—and picks up the reflections from aircraft or drones. That means no emissions to track, no tell-tale radiation, and zero risk of being targeted by anti-radiation missiles. It’s practically invisible. And that makes it ideal for covert ops, sensitive urban areas, or anywhere you don’t want to be noticed.
This system is built for round-the-clock, all-weather, 360-degree air surveillance. It can detect low-flying targets—including drones and stealth aircraft—across wide areas using low-frequency receivers and multi-static positioning. It’s effective against hard-to-spot LSS (Low, Slow, Small) aerial threats. The kind of kit you’d want guarding airspace over borders, bases, or power stations.
Built to Deploy Fast, Work Anywhere
MUSCL isn’t picky about where it goes. It comes in both transportable and fixed configurations, and is designed to run 24/7 without hands-on operation. You can bolt it into your existing C2 (Command and Control) network to feed real-time air surveillance data. It’s made to survive harsh climates and demanding conditions—which is why Patria dragged it up to Lapland to show it off.
