EC approves $92m grant for phase 3 of Patria-led FAMOUS project

The European Commission (EC) has approved funding for the third phase of the FAMOUS (European Future Highly Mobile Augmented Armoured Systems) project undertaken by a defence industry consortium led by Patria.

The approval, granted on 15 April 2026, will see the project proceed under the European Defence Fund (EDF), with the EU contributing €79m ($92m) towards a total project budget of €115m.

Finland remains the lead nation on the programme, and Patria retains its position as industrial coordinator.

The FAMOUS initiative began in 2021, with 20 countries and more than 50 European defence companies participating across its three phases.

To date, the project and its earlier stages have received more than €100m from the EU, supplemented by €20m from participating states.

FAMOUS 3 continues ongoing efforts to advance European ground combat capabilities through the development of all-terrain vehicles (ATV) and light armoured vehicles (LAV).

The current phase is tasked with maximising synergy, standardisation, commonalities, and interoperability between systems while working to reduce lifecycle costs of future and existing military vehicles.

The project anticipates elevating its technologies to a maximum Technology Readiness Level 8 (TRL8) for both ATV and LAV platforms by the end of the third phase, completing necessary qualification and certification processes.

Previous phases resulted in the introduction of the Patria TRACKX armoured tracked vehicle. Serial production for this platform is scheduled to commence in 2027.

Patria introduced Patria TRACKX in September 2025 at the DSEI UK exhibition in London.

Patria protected mobility business area executive vice president Jussi Järvinen said: “Developing European combat capability rapidly is one of the core missions of EC, supported as a concrete example by joint programmes through EDF funding.

“Since the beginning, the FAMOUS programme has been highly successful and results-driven. During the previous phase, Patria TRACKX… was introduced to the market to support Europe’s armoured mobility and combat capability needs and is scheduled to enter serial production in 2027.

“The consortium is now also expanding into new countries and welcoming additional companies, who Patria is honoured to collaborate with.”

The FAMOUS programme focuses on several technology domains, including mobility, energy generation, protection systems, situational awareness, autonomy, weapons systems development, command and control (C4I), and maintainability upgrades.

Efforts in this phase aim to further the EC’s objectives of strengthening the defence industry’s innovation and competitiveness, in line with broader EU initiatives.

While FAMOUS 2 centred on developing next-generation armoured and upgrading current platforms, FAMOUS 3 is working to mature these developments, finalise technology qualification, and carry out additional certification.

The consortium’s ongoing expansion includes welcoming new companies and broader international participation within the EU.