Page 3 - AirForces - Monthly (February 2020)

Comment

A Swedish Air Force JAS 39C Gripen returns to take
part in an Arctic Challenge exercise, over Norway,
after taking on fuel from a USAF KC-135R. With the
Gripen E/F, Saab hopes that years of successful

Nordic co-operation will put its o ering in good stead
for the HX bid. USAF/1st Lt Christopher Mesnard

Finland

counts down

to a new fighter

T his January, Finland’s defence the manufacturers of each candidate’s systems and aircraft can
against results
be evaluated fairly”. The individual candidates
ministry launches the so-called HX
Challenge, a test and evaluation event
Finland has made every
that will put contenders for the country’s achieved ‘in the field’ . have been given five working days to complete
demonstrations in Finland, starting with
fighter replacement programme through effort to gain as much the Typhoon between January 9 and 17.
their paces. Under the HX project, Helsinki is information as possible on With plans to choose a new multi-role
looking for a successor to the Ilmavoimat’s the fighters, before signing off fighter that will remain viable for at least 30
(Finnish Air Force’s) F/A-18C/D Hornet fleet, on a deal that now has a price years – taking its service life into the 2060s –
which it wants to phase out by 2030. cap of €10bn (US$11.15bn). The Finland needs to be certain that the chosen jet
Back in spring 2016, a request for information number of aircraft to be procured hasn’t meets the performance criteria. At the same
(RFI) was sent to France, Sweden, the United been decided, but Finnish defence officials time, efforts are being made to ensure HX is
Kingdom and United States, seeking data confirm that the budget constraints have conducted in a transparent way. Experiences
on the Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, been a problem for all candidate aircraft. of controversial fighter competitions run in
Saab Gripen E/F, Boeing F/A-18E/F Super A more specific request for quotation (RFQ) Croatia, Denmark and Switzerland – to give
Hornet and Lockheed Martin F-35. All five was issued in the second half of last year, just three European examples – make it clear
fighters are still in contention today. before a second phase of negotiations that will that Finland needs to get it right first time.
The capabilities of these jets, their systems determine just what each procurement package
and sensors – including in demanding Nordic will include. This round of talks will end this
winter conditions – will now be judged year, after which manufacturers will submit their
during the evaluation which will take place definitive tender documents. The government
primarily at Tampere-Pirkkala air base. In will decide on the Hornet’s replacement in 2021. Thomas Newdick
particular, the defence ministry says it’s keen According to the defence ministry, HX Email at:
to compare performance claims made by Challenge will ensure “that the performance edafm@keypublishing.com
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