Finland has selected Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) and three other companies for the next phase of its MVX border surveillance jet program.
The American firm, as well as L3Harris Technologies, Field Aerospace, and Swedish company ST Airborne Systems are moving to the Intermediate Request for Quote (RFQ) phase involving the first round of contract terms negotiations.
This phase includes practical evaluation of the proposed aircraft and its sensors, which have already been demonstrated.
The Intermediate RFQ phase is scheduled for summer, but the Finnish Border Guard could request additional negotiations in the fall if needed.
A procurement contract for two MVX multi-role jets to replace the country’s Dornier 228 surveillance aircraft is expected to be signed by the end of this year.
Requirements
Finland’s new MVX surveillance aircraft is expected to significantly improve the country’s border security and monitoring of territorial integrity.
The jet must have better flight endurance and range than its predecessor.
It should also feature advanced sensors, increased transport capacity, and sophisticated aviation systems.
Once operational, the MVX fleet will conduct surveillance, search and rescue, and Baltic Sea patrol missions.
Proposals
SNC is pitching its RAPCON-X jet to the Finnish Border Guard for integrated aerial intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
With more than 14 hours of flight endurance, the aircraft reportedly offers high reliability, superior range, enhanced survivability, and the ability to operate in peer-to-peer and near-peer environments.
“SNC is proud to offer our RAPCON-X solution tailored to meet the Finnish Border Guard’s MVX requirements,” company vice president Tim Owings said.
“RAPCON-X provides interoperability across a wide spectrum of Finland’s national security infrastructure as well as NATO, and will set the Finnish Border Guard up for mission success now and in the future.”
Field Aerospace is proposing a different modification of the Bombardier Challenger 650 aircraft, while L3Harris Technologies is offering the Falcon 2000LXS.
Sweden’s ST Airborne Systems is participating in the MVX program with the Cessna Citation Longitude jet.
