Last week, the U.S. government has approved the potential sale of Extended Range Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems and related equipment to Finland. According to the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the Pentagon’s top arms broker, a possible deal, which covers 25 M30A2 Extended Range Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems – Alternative Warhead (ER GMLRS-AW) Pods and 10 M31A2 Extended Range Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems – Unitary (ER GMLRS-U) pods, has an estimated value of $91.2 million. According to a Department release, the deal includes an ER GMLRS Materiel Release Package; Stockpile Reliability Program (SRP) support; Quality Assurance Testing (QAT) […]
Finland
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Russia is moving its one of the most powerful electronic warfare (EW) systems, called the Murmansk-BN, to military bases in Arctic territory near the Finnish border. This week, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation has released a short video showing deploy of the Murmansk-BN ground mobile radio interference complex to areas located along the border to Finland. Murmansk-BN is a unique Russian long-range communications jamming system specially designed to take out NATO and United States high-frequency military satellite communications. The powerful EW system is aimed at disrupting radio communications at a maximum range of more than 5,000 kilometers (3,106 […]
Finnish defense contractor Patria has announced that it signed with Finland and Latvia agreement on developing common armoured vehicle system. The purpose of the product development agreement is to develop, in line with the common requirements of the countries, the prototype Patria 6×6 vehicle manufactured by Patria Land Oy to a common armoured vehicle platform, with an armoured personnel carrier and a command and control vehicle. The agreement makes it possible to build a comprehensive approach to develop common maintenance, logistics, training solutions or product development packages. The purpose of the R&D agreement is to develop a common armoured vehicle system, based on […]
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced this week that the U.S. State Department recently approved the potential sale to Finland of more than $12.5 billion worth of stealth fighters. On October 8, the DSCA, the Pentagon’s top arms broker, announced that the U.S. State Department has cleared a $12.5 billion purchase by Finland for 64 F-35 stealth fighter jets with air-to-air missiles and air-to-ground precision guided munitions and related equipment. The official notification from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) reads: – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW – sixty-four (64) F-35 Joint Strike Fighter CTOL aircraft; sixty-six (66) Pratt & Whitney […]
Backed by the United Nations, Girls Takeover Day is meant to celebrate the power of girls and highlight the barriers they face. Sixteen-year-old girl, Aava Murto, has walked in the shoes of Finland’s prime minister as part of a UN day to raise awareness about gender inequality. The incumbent Social Democrat Prime Minister Sanna Marin ceremoniously stepped aside, allowing Aava Murto, a native of the small town of Vääsky in the south of Finland, to call the shots ahead of International Day of the Girl Child on 11 October. Prime Minister’s seat has for one day been occupied by 16-year-old Aava […]
Patria’s armoured combat vehicle AMVXP has been selected for the second phase of Bulgarian vehicle acquisition program based on a tender phase. The final decision on the actual acquisition will be made after field tests and negotiations. Also, General Dynamics has proceeded to the second phase. ‘This is very good news as it is a sign of the high quality of Patria’s vehicles and level of expertise, as well as customers’ confidence in them. If Bulgaria chooses Patria AMVXP as its future combat vehicle, we are ready for technology transfer and vehicle manufacturing in Bulgaria,” says Jussi Järvinen, President of Patria’s […]
HELSINKI – The Finnish government’s budget proposal for 2021 has allayed concerns of delays or reduced funding for the Armed Forces’ (FAF) HX Fighter Program. The plan will effectively increase the military’s budgetary framework in 2021 by $2 billion to $5.8 billion to meet phase one of the project’s procurement costs. The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced Finland to significantly increase international borrowings and further load national debt, was feared to have a negative bearing of the fighter replacement project, particularly against the backdrop of a potential economic recession and grim forecasts of an 8 to 10 […]
New Delhi (Sputnik): Amid border tensions, India is considering the participation of Chinese tech players like Huawei and ZTE in the sharpening and development of its 4G and 5G networks. At this time, India’s state-run telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is clouded by risks of losing non-Chinese equipment maker Nokia over unpaid dues. Finnish telecom equipment maker Nokia, which controls 40 percent of BSNL networks in India, has threatened to pull support if dues mounting over $121 million are not cleared “immediately” by the Indian state-run telco. In a letter addressing BSNL Chairman PK Purwar, Nokia has also warned that if […]
On Tuesday, the Finnish Defense Ministry has reported that it suspected a Russian military aircraft had violated Finnish airspace over the Gulf of Finland. The ministry said two Su-27 fighter jets have been detected near Helsinki and that the border guard was investigating the matter. “Two Su-27 fighters belonging to Russia are suspected of violating Finnish airspace on 28 July,” the statement said. – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW – The incident took place over the Gulf of Finland near Helsinki at 14:00, now the border guards are finding out the details of what happened. Epäilty alueloukkaus Suomenlahdella tänään iltapäivällähttps://t.co/D0Omj9NZk5 — […]
A previous risk assessment by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) found some 2 percent of rejected asylum seekers pose a security risk. Notably, Finland’s first-ever terrorist attack, the 2017 Turku stabbing, was carried out by a rejected asylum seeker. There are at least between 700 to 1,100 asylum seekers staying in Finland despite having received a negative decision by the authorities, an estimate by the Association of Finnish Municipalities said. The figure includes between 30 and 50 families with children. The survey also found that municipalities do not always separate those who have received a negative decision into their own […]
The new proposal, modelled on the consent clause previously introduced by Finland’s neighbour Sweden, redefines the concept of harassment, which could lead to more convictions. Finland’s Justice Ministry has proposed redefining rape in terms of consent and lack thereof rather than in terms of violence, as is the case currently. The amended sex crime law will speak of “voluntary consent”, thus broadening the definition of rape. According to the working group report, lack of consent could be expressed verbally, using gestures or by way of “other actions”. Consent will not be assumed if a rape victim is rendered passive by fear […]
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – A group of 25 children from the Mediterranean countries will arrive in Finland this week in line with the Finnish government’s plans to receive a total of 175 unaccompanied minors from the region, the Yle News outlet reported. In February, the Finnish Interior Ministry announced that it would receive up to 175 vulnerable migrants living in refugee camps in the southern EU frontier states, including Greece, Cyprus, Malta and Italy, and pledged to prioritize those eligible for international protection. According to the Finnish Immigration Service, as quoted by the Yle News outlet, the exact date of arrival has […]
HELSINKI — The Nordic countries are pushing to deepen trans-Atlantic defense collaboration with the United States in the High North amid fears that the Trump administration’s mixed messages on NATO could lead to a diminished presence by the alliance in Northern Europe. Concerns over NATO’s capacity to counter potential threats by Russia in the strategic High North and Baltic Sea regions has reignited interest by the Nordic countries, led by Sweden, to explore the development of joint naval, air and mechanized rapid-response infantry units. Nordic leaders have been tentatively discussing the possible formation of common capacities since 2016. However, little in […]
Swedish Interior Minister Mikael Damberg voiced his disappointment with Finland’s decision to keep the border closed over the high number of COVID-19 cases. Unlike its fellow Nordic nations, which are experiencing a cooldown, Sweden is seeing a steep increase in infections, which is attributed to increased testing. The Finnish government has announced that it will open its borders to residents of Norway and Denmark from 15 June as part of a wider reopening to Nordic and Baltic nations. Starting from Monday, the Nordic nation will open its borders to Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Visitors to these countries will […]
A holiday island in eastern Finland owned by a local journalist association was previously called “Negro Island”, a nod to old-school media industry slang, referring to the printing ink that coloured the hands and faces. Neekerisaari, an island in eastern Finland whose name can be roughly translated as Negro Island, will be renamed, according to the Institute for the Languages of Finland (Kotus). The island is located in the Liperi archipelago of North Karelia, near Pyhäselkä, a traditional holiday area with a number of cottages. The name of the island has long been subject of debate, and Kotus itself previously objected […]
While normalcy is gradually returning to Finland, reports have been urging the authorities to prepare for a second wave of the epidemic amid a slow economic recovery. Economic activity in Finland will see a steep decline as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the Bank of Finland said in a fresh 2020-2022 economic forecast. According to the forecast, the local economy will shrink by about 7 percent in 2020. However, while warning of an exceptionally large degree of uncertainty, the central bank projected a partial rebound and growth of around 3 percent in 2021 and 2022. In the worst-case scenario, the […]
WASHINGTON – U.S. President Trump ordered a review of the country’s requirements for icebreaking capabilities in the Arctic and Antarctic, with the goal of getting a fleet in place by 2029, according to a memo released Tuesday. The memo was directed at the Defense, State, Commerce and Homeland Security departments, as well as the Office of Management and Budget. Much of it directs work already in progress – including building a fleet of at least three heavy icebreakers – but says the remaining ships not under contract should be reviewed for what can be done to maximize their utility in the […]
Although the risk of military confrontation in the Arctic remains low for the time being, Finland is considering the possibility of a spillover from conflicts elsewhere. Source link
While the Arctic falls outside the Western military alliance’s traditional focus, officials have begun paying closer attention to the region. Source link