Finland Issues RFI for Hornet Replacement

Defence Forces Logistics Department Issues Request for Information for the Acquisition of a Hornet Replacement

Finland’s F-18 Hornet fighters are due to retire by the end of the next decade, and Finland wants to phase in their replacement beginning in 2025. Its acquisition plan calls for a tender by 2018 and a contract by 2021. (Finnish AF photo)

The Defence Forces Logistics Department has sent a Request for Information for the acquisition of a Hornet replacement to the UK, France, Sweden and US defense administrations. They are asked to forward the Request for Information for future multi-purpose fighters to the appropriate manufacturers in their country.

A Request for information (RFI) precedes the actual purchase. After analyzing the responses to the Request for Information, invitations to tender are issued, and the actual purchase of the aircraft is not made until after that.

The Request for Information aims to collect opinions on what solutions recipients can propose to replace the Hornet's capabilities in the post-2030 security environment. The Request for Information acquires information that is used for detailed planning and budgeting, procurement and purchasing, allowing the refinement of the requirements for the multi-purpose fighters.

The request for information requested budgetary estimates of the cost of the acquisition, the operation and maintenance of the air systems, and the methodology of how they were calculated.

The systems under consideration comprise, in addition to the aircraft themselves, other necessary equipment such as weapons, training equipment, management systems and arrangements necessary for maintenance.

Respondents may also provide solutions that can, for example, include more than one type of aircraft and/or unmanned aerial vehicles, to complement the operational performance of the multi-purpose fighter aircraft.

The information request was sent to the defense administrations of the countries which currently produce such multi-purpose fighter jets and related systems, and which could meet the requirements of Finnish Hornet's performance over the years. The RFI also contains detailed information about the air defense policies and future level of performance. Many of the data as well as the responses to the RFI, are confidential.

The retirement date of the Hornet has been included in the overall schedule. The basic requirement is that the new multi-purpose fighter jets must be in service when the Hornet fleet will have to be decommissioned. The acquisition is very large and complex.

Replies to the RFI have been requested by the end of 2016. The tender for the Hornet replacement solution is due to be issued in 2018, and the award decision is planned in 2021.

At this stage the Air Force does not want to restrict the types of aircraft that can be proposed. For the preparation of the contract, and for the competitive evaluation, it is good to obtain information about a range of aircraft types.

Nevertheless, answers to the Request for Information are expected the following aircraft types: Boeing F-15 and F/A-18E/F; Dassault Rafale; Eurofighter Typhoon; Lockheed Martin F-16 and F-35 and Saab Gripen.

Information is also needed about related training for new systems. For example, instructors must start using the new aircraft -- and training of technical personnel -- is usually provided by the armed forces of the supplier nation. The Air Force is also interested in the early development of the use of these systems, which is usually provided by the manufacturer countries' defense administrations. Thus, at least parts of the replies to the RFIs are likely to come from national defense administrations.

The H-X project calls for the new multipurpose fighter to enter service from 2025. The Hornet’s design life cycle will end by the end of the next decade.

The project “owner” is the commander of the Air Force, the project's technical and commercial preparation is under the responsibility of the Defence Forces Logistics Department, under the material and political guidance of the Ministry of Defence.

For the project’s RFI phase, Air Force Commander Major-General Kim Jäämeri, Ministry of Defence project coordinator Lauri Puranen and Defence Forces Logistics Deputy Director Brigadier-General Kari Renko are familiarizing the representatives of the administrations and manufacturers of the different countries about the Request for Information, its objective and about the project as a whole.

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