DEFENCE group BAE Systems is expected to win a contract for infantry fighting vehicles from the Netherlands worth £620m.
The Dutch defence ministry confirmed that it had chosen BAE's subsidiary Alvis-Hagglunds to supply 184 of its CV-9035 armoured combat vehicles.
A spokesman for the ministry said the Dutch parliament had still to approve the purchase, but said: "We sent a letter to parliament last Friday announcing we would buy this vehicle."
The CV-9035 is a tracked vehicle with a 35-millimetre cannon used by infantry in anti-air and anti-tank roles as well as reconnaissance. A BAE Systems spokesman said the company was expecting a final decision on the order in December.
Alvis-Hagglunds will make the vehicles at its base in central Sweden and the deal will not create jobs in the UK.
However, the spokesman said: ''This is one of the bigger armoured vehicle contracts to have been placed recently and it is a vote of confidence in Alvis-Hagglunds.''
BAE Systems completed the purchase of Alvis in September. It is merging Alvis Vickers, on Tyneside, into BAE.
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