Finland’s HX program takes next step

The Finnish government has issued a request for quotation (RfQ) to four nations in order to find potential bidders for Helsinki’s HX fighter replacement programme.
Finland has requested bids from France, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States, all of which responded to the request for information that was issued in 2016.
Those bidding for the replacement of the Boeing F/A-18C/D Hornet fleet are Boeing with its upgraded F/A-18E/F Super Hornet; Dassault with the Rafale; Eurofighter with the Typhoon; Saab with the Gripen; and Lockheed Martin with the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter.
The government is seeking 64 aircraft with weapons and sensors, alongside support, training systems, and spares.
“To reduce the risk involved in the integration of different systems, the tenderers are requested to provide comprehensive solutions meeting the operational requirements,” the government said in a statement.
Finland will begin to phase out its Hornet fleet from 2025, and a selection of the replacement is expected to be made in 2021.
The next phase following the RfQ issue is to begin in the second half of 2019, when final offers will be negotiated with each of the bidders. The final quotations would be requested in 2020, the government said.
The bids will be assessed based on the ability to meet five military scenarios: counter-air; counter-land; counter-sea; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; and long-range strike.
janes

Finland Plans To Replace F-18C/D Fleet with at Least 64 New Fighter Jets

Finland's Ministry of Defence plans to send out invitations to tender for the purchase of 64 new fighter jets. The new jets will replace the current stock of 64 F/A-18 Hornet jets, which have served the Finnish military since 1992.
The defence report, which was approved by the Parliament in February, says that the readiness of the current fleet must be fully maintained after the procurement.
"We have interpreted that to mean 64 fighter jets. Because the new jets are not faster and can't stay up in the air any longer than the current ones, we will require the same number of jets to maintain the performance of our air defence", says Lauri Puranen from the Ministry.
"That is the minimum number we need to defend a country of this size."
Parliament has decided that it will spend between 7 and 10 billion euros the new jets, which will make the acquisition the most purchase by Finland ever.
The ministry said it will send out invitations to tender in early 2018 to Boeing and Lockheed Martin from the US, Saab from Sweden, Dessault Aviation in France and the British-European BAE Systems.
The new government taking up office in 2019 will make a decision about purchasing fighter jets to replace the current stock of Hornet jets at the end of 2021. The current fleet will be retired by 2030.
In August President Donald Trump caused a minor controversy when he announced during a joint press conference with President Sauli Niinistö that Finland was buying fighter jets from the US. That claim was denied by Niinistö later on Twitter.
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Finnish Air Force reports intense Russian activity in Baltic

The Finnish Air Force revealed on Tuesday that unusually intense Russian activity has been detected over the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea in general during a major military exercise by the Russian Armed Forces.
The activity was first detected on 6 December and has continued between Sunday and Tuesday. It remains unknown when the exercise is scheduled to end.
Finnish Minister of Defence, estimated on Tuesday that the activity is clearly a show of force by Russia.
The activity has prompted the Finnish Air Force to step up its air-policing operations by, for example, adjusting the number of Hornet jets on stand-by at several airbases. Nato has similarly bolstered its efforts to monitor the airspace of Sweden and the Baltic countries.
The activity is unusual also in light of the number and types of aircraft detected in the region.
The detected detachments have included bombers, stealth and interceptor jets as well as transport aircraft.
Perhaps the most unusual aircraft is Tupolev Tu-95.
None of the aircraft have violated Finnish airspace.
The aircrafts have been moving between mainland Russia and Kaliningrad, back and forth.
In addition to the Tupolev Tu-95, Finnish jets have identified Tupolev Tu-22M bombers as well as Suhoi Su-27 and MiG-31 jets. Suhoi Su-24 and Suhoi Su-34 jets as well as Ilyushin Il-76 and Antonov An-26 multi-purpose aircraft have also been detected over the Baltic Sea.
helsinkitimes

Finland begins study on new fighter aircraft

Finland's replacement for its Boeing F/A-18 Hornet fleet is expected to cost the country about EUR6 billion.
Finland's Ministry of Defence launched an exploratory working group in early October to examine maintenance and performance capabilities of potential candidates. Options for modernising the current fleet, acquired in 1995, to enable operations beyond 2030 are also to be examined.
If the country opts to procure a new platform, decommissioning the current Hornet fleet is expected to begin in 2025, with the last aircraft leaving active duty in 2030.
The working group's report is to be completed by mid-2015.
janes

Finnish jets were unable to respond to Russian airspace violations

Commander-in-chief of the Finnish Defence Forces, has in an interview with YLE that confirmed that fighter jets of the Finnish Air Force were unable to respond to the violations of Finnish airspace by two Russian aircraft on 20 May.
The jets were not on standby due to attempts to reduce the backlog of overtime and were only able to respond to the violations four hours after the detection.
A few hours after the intrusions, also a third Russian aircraft was detected approaching the southern coast of Finland, but it was intercepted by two jets deployed by the Karelia Air Command.
helsinkitimes

Finnish jets scrambled to intercept Russian planes

Tensions along the European Union border with Russia are high and increasing. The Finish Air Force had to scramble two jets over the Gulf of Finland after two Russian aircraft entered Finland's airspace without permission.
The information was confirmed by the Finnish Defence Ministry. A Russian state aircraft entered Finnish airspace after 6 P.M.
The Russian planes entered Finnish air space within two hours of each other and they were not commercial aircraft. Finnish fighter jets were scrambled to carry out a reconnaissance flight over the Gulf of Finland where the intrusion happened.
People living in Eastern Uusimaa could hear the sonic boom created by the Finnish jets. Finland and Russia share a common 1,300 kilometer land border.
beyluxe

Finland should opt for F-35 over Gripen if the price is right, minister says

Finland should reject overtures to procure the Saab Gripen E fighter aircraft, if the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) can be acquired at a comparable cost, the country's defence minister said.
Finland should not put Nordic defence co-operation ahead of performance when choosing between the Swedish-built Gripen E and the US-built F-35, providing there is little difference in cost between the two types.
The proposal to strengthen Finland's defence ties with its Nordic neighbour Sweden through a Gripen E buy was made by the speaker of parliament, and the country was named by Saab officials in March as a potential future customer.
Finland appear to favour the F-35 as a potential replacement for the air force's current 55 Boeing F/A-18C and seven F/A-18D Hornet fighters.
Aircraft costs are notoriously difficult to nail down.
It is likely that any future Finnish fighter procurement competition would also include offerings from Boeing with its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Dassault with the Rafale, and Eurofighter with the Typhoon.

janes

Finland Accuses Russia of Airspace Violation

Two Russian military aircraft are suspected of having violated Finland’s airspace, the Finnish Defense Ministry said in a statement Wednesday.
The incident took place Tuesday morning over the Gulf of Finland, the ministry said on its website.
The report did not identify the Russian aircraft, saying only that F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets of the Finnish Air Force were dispatched in order to identify the invaders.
The Russian Defense Ministry admitted an unspecified number of Tu-22 bombers and Su-27 fighter jets conducted flights in the vicinity of Finland on Tuesday, but denied that they intruded in the country’s airspace.
This is the second such incident in a month. The Russian military denied the accusations the last time, but admitted a military aircraft came near the Finnish airspace due to bad weather.
In 2008, Finland announced plans to purchase 12 new radar systems because of alleged regular violations of its airspace by Russian jets. The first radar was deployed last January.
rian.ru

Lockheed Martin Receives $34 Million JASSM Contract for Additional Integration onto Finnish Air Force F-18

Lockheed Martin received a $34.2 million Foreign Military Sales contract from the U.S. Air Force to support additional integration of the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) onto the Finnish Air Force F-18C/D aircraft.
lockheedmartin

Finnish single-seat Hornets grounded

The Finnish Air Force’s F/A-18Cs have been grounded after problems were found on the powder cartridge of the ejection seats.
Tandem seat Ds are not affected as their powder cartridges come from a different manufacturing batch.
alert5

Saab says lease of Gripens to Malaysia, a new sale to Finland and a follow-on deal with Thailand are possible

Saab AB says sales prospects for its Gripen fighter are improving as country’s such as Denmark and Canada reconsider buying the Lockheed Martin (LMT) Corp. F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and others set fighter purchase plans.
Sales of current model Gripens and the NG, the next generation model, may exceed 300 units in the next two decades, head of Gripen Exports said today. A lease of fighters to Malaysia, a new sale to Finland and a follow-on deal with Thailand are possible, he said in an interview.
bloomberg

Finlandia va a adquirir misiles antiaéreos de corto alcance/ Finland shopping for short-range anti-aircraft missiles

Finlandia va a adquirir un nuevo misil antiaéreo de corte alcance para sustituir sus cañones antiaéreos de Sergei de 23 mm. Se espera que estén operativos en 2015.
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Finland is on the look out for new short-range anti-aircraft missiles to replace its aging 23-mm Sergei AA guns. The country expects the new weapons to be operational from 2015.
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Fuerza Aérea de Finlandia recibe los dos primeros PC-12NG para enlace/ Finland gets first two of six Pilatus PC-12NGs

La Fuerza Aérea Finlandesa ha recibido los dos primeros Pilatus PC-12 NG para misiones de enlace, de un total de seis previstos, en la base aérea de Tikkakoski, una semana después de ser aceptados en la planta del fabricante suizo.
Los restantes cuatro se recibirán en agosto de 2010, y sustituirán a los seis Piper Chieftain, en servicio desde 1983 y que se retirarán a finales de este año.
Helsinki pidió los PC-12 NG en Abril de 2009, y realizarán misiones de transporte de personal y de carga.
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The Finnish air force's first two of six Pilatus PC-12 NG liaison aircraft arrived at its Tikkakoski air base on 8 July, one week after they had been accepted at the Swiss firm's Stans manufacturing plant.
Deliveries of the four remaining aircraft will be made by August. The new fleet will replace the air force's six Piper Chieftains, which have been in use since 1983 and will be retired later this year.
Helsinki ordered its PC-12 NGs in April 2009 and will perform multiple tasks, including personnel and cargo transport duties.
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Primer C-295 para México. Finlandia pide uno adicional/Mexico's air force gets first C-295, as Finland orders another

Airbus ha entregado el primero de los cinco C-295 de transporte a la Fuerza Aérea Mexicana, y ha confirmado la venta de otra unidad a Finlandia. La segunda unidad para Mexico se entregará en un par de semanas, estando todos entregados a finales de 2010. La Armada Mexicana ya recibió dos C-295 de transporte en Abril de 2009, además de cuatro CN-235 de patrulla marítima.
Finlandia ha pedido un tercer C-295, una semana después de anunciar que transformaría uno de los que ya posee en avión de vigilancia aérea con equipos suministrados por Lockheed Martin.
www.flightglobal.com
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Airbus Military has delivered its first of five C-295 tactical transports to the Mexican air force and confirmed the receipt of a follow-on order for the type from Finland.
Mexico's first air force example was accepted in late May, and Airbus Military says a second will follow within weeks.
The remaining three are all scheduled for customer acceptance before the end of 2010.
The European company delivered two C-295 transports to the Mexican navy in 2009 and in April handed over the service's first two of four CN-235 maritime patrol aircraft.
Meanwhile, the Finnish air force has ordered a third C-295, one week after it announced plans to equip one of its existing transports with an airborne surveillance payload.
Helsinki received its current two C-295s from 2007, and has picked Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Services-Defense to provide surveillance equipment.
www.flightglobal.com

FINLANDIA CONVERTIRÁ UNO DE LOS C-295 PEDIDOS EN AVIÓN DE VIGILANCIA/FINLAND TO CONVERT ONE C-295 INTO A SURVEILLANCE AIRCRAFT

Lockheed Martin ha anunciado que ha firmado con Finlandia un contrato para la conversión de un C-295M de transporte bajo pedido en un avión de vigilancia y reconocimiento, similar a los C-295 ASW/MPA de patrulla marítima y a los King Air en servicio en Iraq y Afganistán con Estados Unidos.
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Lockheed Martin announces a contract to convert one of Finland’s C-295Ms into a ground surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft, and provide associated ground systems and communications terminals. This will be similar to the C-295 ASW/MPA, the aircraft’s maritime patrol and surveillance variant.
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PILATUS PC-12 PARA FINLANDIA/Deliveries of Finland’s New Pilatus PC-12 NG Aircraft Ahead of Schedule

Las entregas de los cinco Pilatus PC-12 NG que Finlandia adquirió de Suiza tendrá lugar antes de lo planificado y es inminente.
Se utilizarán para misiones de enlace y sustituirán a los PA-31-350 Navajo.
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The deliveries of the Pilatus PC-12 NGs that the Finnish Air Force has purchased from Switzerland will take place ahead of schedule.
The first aircraft destined for Finland are currently undertaking flight testing, and the first examples of the service’s new liaison aircraft will be ferried to Finland in July. The initial schedule called for deliveries during the last quarter of the year.

PATRIA (FINLANDIA) MODERNIZARA LOS HAWK DE LA FUERZA AEREA FINLANDESA/PATRIA TO UPGRADE FINISH HAWKS

Según KeyAero, Patria Aviation Oy ha recibido un contrato para modernizar la flota de 18Hawk Mk66 de entrenamiento de la fuerza aérea finlandesa. Estos proceden de la Fuerza Aérea Suiza y son similares a los 49 Hawk Mk51 que ya posee Finlandia. La modernización incluye el cockpit y a la aviónica, similar a la de los cinco Mk51A ya modernizados, y que se prolongará hasta 2013.

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EADS subsidiary company Patria Aviation Oy has received a €40 million order from the Finnish Air Force to upgrade its fleet of 18 Hawk Mk66 trainers.
The 18 aircraft are former Swiss Air Force, and are similar to the Mk51, of which the Finnish Air Force has 49 examples. The planned upgrade will include a revised cockpit and avionics to bring the jets to a standard common with that of the upgraded Mk51A fleet, currently comprising five aircraft, and will last until 2013.