The Ministry of Defence of Finland, announced that it has received the final and best offers (Best and Final Offer – BAFO) from the five companies that responded to the initial request for information, on the program for the acquisition of a new fighter aircraft (Finnish HX fighter procurement). 

The program is intended to replace the current fleet of F-18 Hornets – which were commissioned between 1995 and 2000 – by the end of 2030. Currently, the Finnish Air Force, one of the oldest in the world, operates 62 fighters of this type (55 single-seater F/A-18Cs and 7 two-seater F/A-18Ds).

The five companies participating in the competition are the American Boeing with the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, the French Dassault with the Rafale, the Great Britain with the Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 3A, the American Lockheed Martin with the F-35 Lightning II and the Swedish Saab with the JAS-39 Gripen. 

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The selection of fighters according to the Finnish Ministry of Defence will take into account the following criteria which have been identified as areas of key importance:

• The system’s capability to win fights during its service life
• Costs 
• Security of supply and the domestic industry’s role. Also, the usability of the system in times of peace and war
• Security and defence policy impacts. Potential impacts of the selection on Finland’s security and defence cooperation

The final decision will be made by the Government in 2021. The Parliament has approved an authorisation order of EUR 9.4 billion to procure multi-role fighters to replace the Hornet fleet (including the new fighters, armaments, training, etc). 

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