The Finnish Defence Forces have awarded tactical communications company Bittium Wireless a contract to provide additional handheld and vehicular radios.
The 5.3-million-euro ($5.5 million) agreement will see the company deliver its Bittium Tough software-defined radios (SDR) and related equipment.
Bittium’s radios include programmable software technology and waveforms that can be modernized throughout the device’s lifecycle.
According to the Finnish Army, the procurement is part of a gradual replacement of the defense forces’ aging analogue field radios.
The first batch of new radios is slated for delivery by the end of this year.
“The procurement will support continuing the national development of SDR technology and fitting the radios as part of the Army M18 C5 system and of the Finnish Defence Forces’ radio equipment family,” Finnish Army Signals Inspector Col. Antti Tunkkari explained.
“The procurement also ensures the field radio development progress, utilisability and adaptation in all services and in establishments subordinated to the Defence Command.”
Connecting Finnish Military Branches
The contract follows a framework agreement signed by then-Finnish Defence Minister Jussi Niinistö in 2018, which ordered several tranches of communication capabilities for all three Finnish military branches.
Valued at 8.3 million euros ($8.7 million), the contract will see Bittium provide Finnish Defence Forces with voice-over internet protocol phones, routers, and single-pair high-speed digital subscriber line repeater capabilities.
The terminals are based on Bittium’s Tactical Wireless Internet Protocol Network, which enables broadband tactical communications and is currently in service with Finnish forces.
The capabilities offer diverse connectivity options and third-party equipment for the military to integrate future systems and legacy combat net radios.