Slawek Radwan
Finnish Air Force HX Fighter Procurement
The Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command sent the Request for Best and Final Offer (BFO) for the HX Fighter Programme today to replace its ageing F-18 Hornet aircraft.
The Request for BFO concerns the following multi-role fighters and their related systems and weapons: Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet (United States), Dassault Rafale (France), Eurofighter Typhoon (Great Britain), Lockheed Martin F-35 (United States) and Saab Gripen (Sweden).
The deadline for finalized tenders is 30 April 21 while the government will decide on the procurement at the end of 2021.
The Finnish Parliament has approved an authorization order of EUR 9.4 billion to procure multi-role fighters to replace the Hornet fleet.
The tendering phase began in spring 2018 when the Defence Forces Logistics Command sent a preliminary call for tenders and an invitation to participate in negotiations. In October 2019, a revised Request for Quotation (RFQ) was sent, and responses to it were received in January 2020. The negotiations have taken place between tendering phases.
The Request for Best and Final Offer states uniform requirements. It is, however, tenderer-specific meaning that the quotation of each tenderer is based on a package with specifications offered in the quotation and the negotiations. With the Request for Best and Final Offer, each tenderer is requested to compile the information provided in the previous tenders and negotiations into a final and binding package.
The transferable appropriation of EUR 579 million for five years will ensure that the procured system will be introduced as part of Finland’s defence system. EUR 21 million has been granted to cover the costs arising from the preparation of the programme.
HX Options
The HX options of each tenderer differ as to the costs of introduction into service, construction needs and integration into the defence system. This is why each tenderer will be given a tenderer-specific price limit, and, in addition, a similar option will be included in the Request for Best and Final Offer for each tenderer for later purchases and contractual changes. Therefore, the price ceiling set for each tenderer is about EUR 9 billion.
At its meeting in January 2021, the Government’s Ministerial Committee on Economic Policy supported sending the Request for Best and Final Offer. The grounds and steering for finalising the HX project can be found in the Government Programme and the Government’s Defence Policy Report 2017.
The package to be procured includes not only the aircraft but also associated technical systems, training systems, necessary maintenance equipment, test equipment and spare parts along with weapons, sensors and other required type-specific support functions. The package must also include the changes in command, control, communications and computers (C4) and information systems required for its integration into the defence system, as well as the construction of security-critical infrastructure.
Considerations in decision-making
Selecting a multi-role fighter is based on four considerations: the multi-role fighter’s military capability, security of supply, industrial participation and costs. Security and defence policy implications will be assessed separately outside of the actual tendering process. A procurement decision also requires contractual readiness with the proposed tenderer.
Finnish Air Force F-18 Hornet
Since the procurement will have an impact on the Defence Forces’ operational capability and will define the Air Forces’ combat capability into the 2060s, it is important to select a system with the best possible capabilities, including supporting elements and development capacity over the entire life cycle.
The manufacturer must be able to provide industrial participation solutions and a maintenance system that meet the requirements while also ensuring operability in emergencies and sufficient capacity to operate independently in emergencies. It must be possible to cover the operating and maintenance costs of the selected system from the defence budget.
Phases of the procurement procedure from now on
The best and final quotations requested by the end of April will be assessed to make a procurement proposal. When a tenderer passes the requirements regarding security of supply, industrial participation and costs, it will then be subjected to the last phase of capability assessment.
A capability assessment will be made in phases taking into account the packages offered and the capability values verified on the basis of testing events. In the last phase, a long-term war game will be simulated to determine the operational efficiency of each candidate’s HX system. The Defence Forces’ proposal on the system to be selected will be based on the outcome of the war game and an assessment of the future development potential.
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