The ongoing development project for building ground-based air defence high-altitude capa-bility will continue by negotiations with two manufacturers. Apart from building enhanced high-altitude capability for ground-based air defence, the procurement project will also result in increased GBAD areal coverage.
Back in October 2020, the Finnish Defence Forces’ Logistics Command submitted Request for Quo-tation to altogether five companies including Diehl Defence (Germany), Israel Aerospace Indus-tries (Israel), Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (Norway), MBDA Missile Systems (the UK), and Ra-fael Advanced Defense Systems (Israel).
In November 2021, the first round of negotiations of the project for developing GBAD high-altitude capability was completed on receipt of the preliminary quotations, followed by their evaluation with particular emphasis on the capability of the given surface-to-air missile systems. Minister of Defence Antti Kaikkonen made the decision to proceed with negotiations with two companies: IAI and RAFAEL.
- It is good news that this important project now advances that is part of and complements the whole ground-based air defence entity as such. In the future, we will further enhance the Finnish Defence Forces’ capability by the commissioning of the F-35 and of the new surface-to-air missile systems, Commander of the Finnish Air Force Major General Pasi Jokinen says.
The project will result in building enhanced high-altitude capability for ground-based air defence and significantly increase the GBAD areal coverage. The buildup of the high-altitude capability will involve procuring a surface-to-air missile system that enables broad-spectrum interception at all altitudes. The subsystems to be procured will include the missile launcher, radar, and missiles, as well systems integration.
All invited companies entered the tendering process and submitted a preliminary quotation. Of these, the preliminary quotation by DIEHL offered the IRIS-T SLM system and missile with Saab Giraffe radar, whereas Kongsberg’s quotation was based on the NASAMS system update to NASAMS Extended Range and MBDA’s quotation on the Land Ceptor-system with CAMM ER missile and Saab Giraffe radar. Furthermore, IAI’s quotation was based on the BARAK-MX system with LRAD ER missile and ELTA radar, and RAFAEL’s quotation on the DAVID SLING-system with STUNNER missile and ELTA radar.
- We analysed the preliminary quotations in detail with particular emphasis on capability. The two selected systems were superior with regard to their capability. These systems can be integrated to our air defence systems, representing currently fielded products that meet our set requirements, Inspector of Ground-Based Air Defence, Colonel Mikko Mäntynen from the Army Command points out.
- In the tendering procedure, the second round of negotiations will now be conducted with the se-lected companies after which they are invited to submit their final quotations, Colonel Mäntynen explains.
The objective is to determine the successful tenderer and to make the decision awarding the procurement contract relating to the chosen system in early 2023.
The Ministry of Defence issued a release on the decision on 5.3.2022.
