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🇫🇮 Finland /Conflict & Security

Finland and Sweden announce rocket-launcher cooperation, with Sweden buying HIMARS and Finland providing maintenance

From Helsingin Sanomat · () Finnish

Translated from Finnish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Official statement New plan
  • Finland and Sweden announced a memorandum of intent on rocket-launcher systems, further strengthening their defense cooperation.
  • Sweden plans to buy heavy HIMARS systems and produce compatible ammunition, while Finland will provide maintenance and training throughout their life cycle.
  • The planned deal is valued at 7 billion Swedish kronor, or about 630 million euros, with initial fire units due to reach Sweden next year.

Finland and Sweden are taking another step toward closer defense cooperation, this time around the HIMARS rocket-launcher system widely used in Ukraine. Their defense ministers, Finland’s Antti Häkkänen and Sweden’s Pål Jonson, announced a memorandum of intent in Sweden on Monday.

Sweden plans to buy heavy HIMARS launchers and begin producing compatible ammunition domestically. Finnish support would include maintenance and training over the systems’ life cycle. The first fire units could be delivered to Sweden as early as next year.

The planned purchase is worth 7 billion Swedish kronor, approximately 630 million euros. Swedish defense company Saab has separately signed a memorandum of intent with U.S. firm Lockheed Martin on producing ammunition in Sweden. The arrangement covers rounds compatible with HIMARS and other systems, including Patriot, as well as the possible integration of Saab’s GLSDB ammunition into the system.

When Sweden now adopts a compatible rocket-launcher system, both countries will gain added value from the fact that this area is already ready in Finland.

· Antti HäkkänenThe Finnish defense minister described how Finland’s existing maintenance capabilities would support the new bilateral cooperation.

Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen said the cooperation builds on Finland’s earlier work to establish its own maintenance and support capabilities. “When Sweden now adopts a compatible rocket-launcher system, both countries will gain added value from the fact that this area is already ready in Finland,” he said in a statement.

The agreement does not currently mean that Finland will receive HIMARS systems. At this stage, the planned cooperation focuses mainly on maintenance. Finnish and Swedish armies already work closely on a bilateral basis and within NATO, including Sweden’s role as the lead nation for Finland’s Forward Land Forces. Olli Ruutu of Finland’s Defense Ministry said it was not ruled out that units could eventually be deployed in Finland, calling the systems another compatible capability for the two countries’ armies.

This is another capability that the Finnish and Swedish armies in particular have in common, and it is not ruled out in any way.

· Olli RuutuThe Finnish Defense Ministry director discussed the possibility that compatible units could eventually be used in Finland.
About this summary

Originally published by Helsingin Sanomat in Finnish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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