Finland has selected Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter as the country’s future combat aircraft.
National evaluations put the F-35’s military capability well ahead of its competitors, and Helsinki says the aircraft met national requirements for security of supply, industrial cooperation and costs.
Finland will purchase 64 brake-parachute-equipped F-35As to be built to the Block 4 standard. Deliveries will begin in 2025 to support training in the U.S. Finnish F-35s will arrive in-country in 2026. The type will replace the Finnish Air Force’s McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornets between 2028 and 2030.
“This decision will have a strong impact on the Defense Forces’ operational capability,” said Antti Kaikkonen, Finland’s defense minister. He announced the decision alongside Prime Minister Sanna Marin on Dec. 10.
The F-35, Kaikkonen said, would “define [the] Finnish Air Force’s combat capability through into the 2060s.”
Helsinki’s decision comes on the heels of Switzerland’s selection of the same aircraft in July. This means the F-35 has been successful in virtually every fighter contest in Europe in which it has participated.
“We are honored the government of Finland through its open competition has selected the F-35, and we look forward to partnering with the Finnish Defense Forces and Finnish defense industry to deliver and sustain the F-35 aircraft,” said Bridget Lauderdale, Lockheed Martin’s general manager of the F-35 program.
Defense officials scored the F-35 as the best based on the air, land and sea scenarios posed to the bidders. But no details of the scoring system or what the other bidders achieved was revealed.
The F-35 was also deemed to have the highest operational effectiveness and the best development potential.
Helsinki plans to sign the Letter of Offer and Acceptance for the Foreign Military Sale in the first quarter of 2022.
Finland had budgeted €10 billion ($11.3 billion) for the procurement, with the Finnish Parliament approving the use of €9.4 billion.
The breakdown of costs includes €4.7 billion for the aircraft, equivalent to €73.4 million ($83 million) for each of the 64 aircraft.
The air-to-air missile package is valued at €754 million, while the maintenance equipment, spare parts, training equipment and initial maintenance for the first five years of operations will cost €2.92 billion.
Officials have put aside €777 million for infrastructure construction and project costs, while €823 million is available for additional contracts and amendments, as well as future buys of weapons.
Officials also note that the operating costs are well within the threshold of 10%, or €254 million, of the annual defense budget, and note that the type’s operation “is possible with the resources of the Defense Forces.
“None of the bids were significantly cheaper in terms of operating and maintenance costs,” the officials said.
Finland envisions arming its F-35s with AIM-120 Amraam and AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, Small Diameter Bombs, Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) bomb kits, the Kongsberg Joint Strike Missile and the JASSM-ER cruise missile.
Procurement officials say the F-35’s maintenance will be based on a solution derived from the aircraft’s global maintenance system. They added that the proposed system meets domestic security-of-supply requirements. Finland’s nonaligned status means it cannot rely on allies in wartime like other F-35 operators. Lockheed Martin says Finland will be able to rely on the F-35’s Global Support Solution. It will work to enable Finnish industry to undertake the repair of around 100 critical components so the fleet can be supported if Finland becomes isolated in the event of a conflict. There will also be additional stockpiles of F-35 spares in Finland.
Lockheed Martin also said it will provide work for Finnish industry that will last up to 20 years. Among the companies to benefit is Patria, which will build 400 forward fuselages for the wider program.
Kaikkonen said the contest was tough and “there can be only one winner.” He added, “I would like to stress that all countries involved are very close and valued partners for Finland. They continue to be so. Our cooperation with all of them is based on long-term partnerships, mutual trust and common security interests.”
Boeing, which had been offering a package including both the Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler, said in a statement that it was disappointed by Finland’s decision. But the company said it was still confident in the future of the Super Hornet family. “We have significant international interest in both platforms that we are pursuing, and we are continuing to invest in technologies that will ensure the U.S. Navy and international partners have the capabilities needed to meet their mission needs of the future through a robust technology road map,” the company said in a statement.
Saab, which had been offering the JAS- 9E Gripen fighter and the GlobalEye airborne early warning platform, said it respected Finland’s decision, “although the outcome is not the one we sought and fought hard for.
“Finland is and will remain an important partner and market for Saab, both with our existing programs and future opportunities,” said Jonas Hjelm, head of Saab’s Aeronautics business.
The Swedish government said its proposed package was tailored to “handle our [Finnish-Swedish] common security challenges.
“Defense cooperation will continue to develop independently of this, and Finland will continue to be our closest defense and security policy partner,” Swedish officials added.
BAE Systems led the Eurofighter offer in conjunction with the UK government. “While we are disappointed Eurofighter Typhoon was not selected, we remain a key partner on the global F-35 program,” the company said. “We continue to pursue a number of opportunities for Typhoon with partner nations and through exports.”
Dassault Aviation said it noted the decision of Helsinki, adding, “We notice and regret an American preference prevailing in Europe.”
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