Finnish Border Guard to get 2 new aircraft

The Finnish Border Guard will get two new multirole aircraft from American Sierra Nevada Corporation, said an official press release.

The new aircraft will replace the Dornier 228 surveillance aircraft that are coming to the end of their life cycle . The aircraft will be manufactured by Canadian Bombardier, and the system integration will be carried out by Sierra Nevada Corporation.

The procurement contains two aircraft solutions based on Bombardier's Challenger 650 business jet, which Sierra Nevada Corporation will modify to suit the operational needs of the Finnish Border Guard.

The Agreement was signed in Helsinki on Thursday and the aircraft are planned to enter service in 2026 and 2027.

In the final stage of the bidding competition, two Prime candidates submitted bids by the deadline.

In the evaluation of the tender for the MVX Program, Sierra Nevada Corporation's solution met the capability requirements set by the Finnish Border Guard.

The selection was based on the supplier's experience and demonstrated ability to implement complex aircraft modifications, as well as the ability to deliver the aircraft within the set deadline.

"The new surveillance aircraft will significantly increase Finland's capability in border security and maritime security tasks, which is important in our difficult-to-predict security environment," said Major General Matti Sarasmaa, Chief of Border and Coast Guard Division.

The leader of the MVX Program, Brigadier General Jari Tolppanen, is confident now that the Program is progressing to the production phase.

"The set performance goals are achieved within the budget frame. The Agreement is balanced. Sierra Nevada Corporation is a very capable and experienced supplier of surveillance aircraft," said Tolppanen.

The new CL650s will be painted blue and white, and will have the registrations OH-MVX and OH-MVY.