Saturday guests Minister of Defense Kaikkonen says how big the fighter decision will be made soon

When it comes to is the largest arms trade in Finnish history, statements are not made recklessly.

Minister of Defense Antti Kaikkonen (middle) words drop slowly, and pauses are long in places. Kaikkonen’s usually thoughtful style is emphasized when he talks about fighter procurement.

In the very near future, the Minister is due to submit a proposal to the Government on which multi-purpose fighter Finland will replace its current 64 Hornetia. In other words, the trade, which has been prepared for years and is worth billions of euros, is at a delicate stage.

The decision is due to be made in December, but the exact date has not been announced to the public. Kaikkonen now agrees to specify that the goal is to get the matter done “before the Christmas holidays”.

He also says that the work of evaluating the candidates’ bids has been completed.

“At this point, various checks and verifications are still being made to make sure everything is in place. I believe that in the near future we can expect a presentation from the Defense Forces to the Ministry of Defense, ”says Kaikkonen.

Decision the fighter selection is carried out in such a way that the Defense Forces first give the Ministry of Defense its assessment of the results of the performance comparison of the machines. The winner is the Defense Forces’ proposal for Finland’s next fighter.

Kaikkonen, for its part, makes its own judgment on the basis of the Defense Forces’ assessments and then submits its proposal to the Government. The Government makes a decision on fighter jets in plenary session, ie with the power of the entire government.

The matter has also been discussed in the Committee on Foreign and Security Policy. The President of the Republic is therefore also likely to play the role of Chief of Staff and Director of Foreign and Security Policy with the Government.

Could Kaikkonen present anything other than what the Defense Forces are proposing to the government?

“Of course, I want to go through the Defense Forces’ view on this issue and the rationale for it very carefully. But yes, I am pretty much confident in the expertise we have in this project, ”he says.

“If someone turns out to be the best in this comparison, then yes, it is strong in my own thinking as well.”

Kaikkonen and the Council of State can still make decisions in its own decisions, for example on the basis of security policy, which is always associated with the billion-dollar arms trade.

There has been a public debate, for example, about whether Finland will continue with the US plane or whether it will decide to switch to European, and what the message would be in this case.

Kaikkonen emphasizes, as before, that the most important security policy consideration was made at the stage when the machine candidates in question were selected for the competition.

“There are other machine manufacturers in the world. The four countries that have been selected for this are all our good partners. All on a slightly different basis, but the machine can be bought from any of these four countries. ”

There is still a signal value in the store.

“Yes, of course, this sends a message that Finland is taking care of its defense.”

The Minister of Defense will not anticipate the intensity of discussions within the government at the final stage. He only points out that the project has been committed to in the government’s program and that parliamentary support has been extensive.

Service life Five multipurpose fighters are available to replace the Hornet fighters in the US: Boeing F / A Super Hornet in the US, Dassault Rafale in France, Saab Gripen in Sweden, Eurofighter Typhoon in Europe and Lockheed Martin F-35 in the US.

Final bids were submitted in the spring. The Defense Forces have indicated in the assessment that it will first be considered whether the fighter candidates meet certain mandatory criteria.

They relate to security of supply, the life cycle costs of machines, ie the cost of use and maintenance, and industrial cooperation. These parts of the tenders have been evaluated on the principle of acceptance or rejection.

For example, life-cycle costs should not exceed 10% of the annual defense budget, ie around € 250 million. Industrial co-operation must be 30% of the purchase price.

The successful candidates are to be taken to the final stage of the competition, ie the performance comparison from which the winner will be selected.

Kaikkonen does not disclose whether all the machine candidates made it to the final stage or whether the race is just a trade for some of them.

“It can be said, of course, that the criteria are genuine. There has always been the possibility that someone or some of the machines will not pass the criteria, and if they do not, they will not be selected and will not be able to win the tender. ”

“Yes, everyone is serious, I understand, and everyone [on ollut] the desire to win the competition, which is, of course, a good thing for the buyer. ”

Former Minister of Defense Elisabeth Rehn (r) said in due course in his memoirs fierce lobbying in some places by fighter dealers in connection with the acquisition of the Hornets.

Rehn said, for example, that he was the leader of the Wallenberg Industrial Empire Peter Wallenberg pressured Finland to order Swedish Jas Gripen fighters and threatened to withdraw its investments from Finland. Wallenberg denied this later.

Kaikkonen assures that nothing inappropriate has come to his attention this time.

“At least so far [vaikuttaminen] I think it has been matter-of-fact and neat. I have not found anything particularly inappropriate or inappropriate. Sure, everyone wants to win that competition and praises their own option, but that’s part of it. ”

“Hopefully the neat approach will continue in all respects until the end.”

Kaikkonen reminds that the project has been prepared by a large number of people, and the decision-maker is the entire board. So the project is not in the hands of one, two or three people.

“I am confident that the project will go smoothly until the end, but I assume that we will probably see a different kind of public debate and speculation coming to an end here.”

Of shops The price cap has been set at ten billion euros, of which more than nine billion is spent on the acquisition itself and the rest on the commissioning of the machines in Finland.

On top of this comes the life cycle cost of machines. The price is further increased by separate lifecycle updates and possibly so-called index increases and changes in exchange rates if the machine to be purchased were in another currency.

Kaikkonen has previously evaluatedthat there will be at least another similar pot or more on top of the € 10 billion acquisition.

This estimate is still valid, he said. There are moving parts, of course, and some of the cost is moving up and some going down.

What would Kaikkonen say to those critical voices who think that the pot of tens of billions might be smaller and that there would be better use of money elsewhere after the Korona period, for example?

“Yes, the defense of the homeland must always be maintained in all circumstances, and the project is absolutely central to the viability and credibility of our defense. It is also important for the Land and Navy, it is not just about acquiring the Air Force, but also about the entire Defense Forces, ”he says.

“As a small consolation to those who are terrified of the price, every year, every term, or even every decade, you don’t have to make such a big investment.”

Of course, the costs of the deal will be paid for a long time, until 2031, according to the Parliament ‘s order authorization. The planes are scheduled to fly possibly until the 2060s.

For a politician deciding on historic arms deals is a big responsibility that can be reverted to for years. Finally, Kaikkonen still has to ask how it feels.

The Minister does not admit that it would excite.

“It’s still work among others, though it’s definitely memorable.”

Kaikkonen says that he understands the responsibility.

“I am quite pleased that so far the process has been taken forward in a very matter-of-fact way, and hopefully this will be the case down there. But of course I am prepared for the fact that we will probably see a colorful discussion before we are at the finish line and certainly after that. ”

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