Updates on Finnish Defense: Infrastructure Protection and the Next Phase of the Fighter Competition

The Finnish government is rebuilding its defense capability with a clear focus on the challenges from its neighbor and the dynamics of change within the Nordic nations with regard to total defense.

Property Ownership Determination as Part of Infrastructure Defense

Recently, the Finnish government focused on the key issue of who owns property in Finland and how that affects their national defense.

In an article published by the Finnish Ministry of Defence on October 29, 2019, it was announced that Non-EU and non-EEA buyers need permission to buy real estate as of 2020.

A comprehensive package of legislation will enter into force at the beginning of 2020, the key element of which is that buyers outside the EU and EEA need a permission to buy real estate in Finland.

While the aim of the permission process is not to slow down or hinder foreign real estate transactions in Finland it allows the State to intervene, if necessary, in the procurement of real estate when this is considered to be a threat to national security.

With the new legislation, the Ministry of Defence will become the permission authority; it will process permission applications and make decisions on permissions in entire Finland, with the exception of the Åland Islands.

Buyers from outside the EU and EEA must apply for a permission either before a real estate transaction or within two months after it.

In the initial phase, a permission is applied for by using a form and later in an electronic service system.

The Next Stage of the Fighter Competition

In an article published by the Helsinki Times on November 5, 2019, the recent decision with regard to the Finnish Ministry of Defence with regard to the next phase of the fighter competition was provided.

THE FINNISH DEFENCE FORCES has issued a call for revised tenders to the five fighter jet manufacturers vying for the up to 10-billion-euro contract to replace the ageing fleet of F/A-18 Hornets of the Finnish Air Force.

The call for tenders was issued on Thursday, 31 October, by the Logistics Command of the Finnish Defence Forces, according to a press release from the Finnish government.

The fighter jets under consideration in the so-called HX Fighter Program are Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet (US), Dassault Rafale (FR), Eurofighter Typhoon (UK), Lockheed Martin F-35 (US) and Saab Gripen (SE). The goal of the project is to replace the ageing fighter jet fleet with up to 64 multi-role fighter jets that meet the requirements of the operating environment.

The supplier candidates were asked to compile the information presented in their initial bids and subsequent negotiations into a cohesive, up-to-date and improved package, and submit their revised bids by 31 January 2020.

“The calls for tenders are supplier-specific, meaning that each supplier’s call for tenders is based on the package it has already offered and the needs to specify it,” a spokesperson for the project explained on Friday.

“The suppliers must put together a package that meets the performance requirements within the maximum budget set for the project. The package must include not only the aircraft, but also the other technical systems, training systems, necessary maintenance equipment, testing equipment and spare parts, as well as weapons, sensors and other type-specific support functions,” they added.

The Ministerial Committee on Economic Policy in October voted in favour of issuing the calls for revised bids and set a 10-billion-euro budget for the acquisition.

The supplier will be chosen based on five components: the military capabilities of the multi-role fighter jet, the security of supply, industrial co-operation, acquisition and life-cycle costs, and the security and defence policy ramifications of the acquisition.

The bids will be evaluated primarily based on military capabilities due to the long-term impact the acquisition will have on the capabilities of the Finnish Defence Forces. The evaluation, then, will serve as the basis for making the final political decision on the acquisition, which is expected in 2021.

Aleksi Teivainen – HT
Source: Uusi Suomi