The Defence Ministry’s recent purchase of a new missile procurement was the latest in a series of decisions to strengthen the country’s defence capability.
On Friday, the Defence Ministry gave the green light to procuring short and long-range missile systems from Israel. The €223.6 million purchase, including maintenance and training, was justified by the need to improve the army’s anti-tank capabilities and the coastal troops’ capabilities.
Implemented through NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) and the Land Combat Missiles partnership programme, it was the latest in a row of purchases by the Finnish military during the autumn.
On 5 December, the Defence Forces ordered €16 million for laser sights and image intensifiers from a domestic manufacturer. At the end of November, munitions for the Navy were bought from Sweden with €12.6 million. In mid-November, an option was taken up for 38 more self-propelled armoured howitzers from South Korea in a deal worth €134 million.
The list since the end of August also includes ammunition from Germany for the weapons of tanks (€14 million), protective vests and equipment pocket sets (€20 million) and long-range ammunition (€13 million).
The Defence Forces can also afford to go shopping next year. The government’s budget for 2023 for the defence administration amounts to €6.1 billion, €1.0 billion or 20% more than this year. Allocated to defence materiel procurement is €1.6 billion, an increase of €765 million from 2022.
However, one can expect political discussions to heat up. To develop the high-altitude capability of its ground-based air defence, Finland is currently negotiating with two Israeli companies, Israel Aerospace Industries and Rafael Advanced Systems. Causing worry is the apparent Russian influence on Israel.
Finland intends to make the procurement decision in early 2023.
(Pekka Vänttinen | EURACTIV.com)
Source: euractiv.com
