Several manufacturers from different countries are already pouring money into campaigning, even though the final decision on the over 10-billion-euro deal won’t be reached for another five years.
Finland’s upcoming tender process to choose a new fleet of fighter jets to defend the country won’t just pit the planes’ manufacturers against each other, as it will also draw the PR firms and experts the vying contractors have hired into the fray.
Finnish communications agency Kaiku Helsinki has agreed to assist the Eurofighter jet manufacturer BAE Systems, while the global public relations firm Hill+Knowlton Strategies’s Finland branch will lend a hand in F-35 fighter’s US manufacturer Lockheed Martin’s promotional work. Miltton, the communications agency with the highest turnover in Finland, has signed on to promote the makers of the Gripe NG jets, Sweden’s Saab.
The PR firms will help the fighter jet manufacturers convince Finnish decision-makers of their aircrafts’ superior features. The lobbying effort has already begun in earnest, as the teams have already approached MPs, defence administration members, the press and leaders in Finland’s defence industry.
A chance to see things up close
For example, members of the parliamentary defence committee have been offered a chance to meet with the fighter jet manufacturers at air shows. At the Turku Air Show in the summer of 2015, politicians were invited to try out an F-35 fighter jet simulator.
Mark Parkinson, director of the BAE Systems Eurofighter campaign in Finland, says that BAE representatives have also already met with key persons from the political arena and the defence forces.
“We brought two Eurofighter jets to the Kuopio Air Show and a significant number of VIPs were on hand as our guests. We were able to tell them about the fighters’ performance,” he said.
The Hill+Knowlton employee expects each of the competitors to up the ante next year.
“Next year Finland will celebrate its centennial. This will provide excellent opportunities for us to meet with stakeholders and tell them about our products,” Parkinson said.
Some MPs resist
Chair of Finland’s parliamentary defence committee Ilkka Kanerva has decided only to meet with the defence contractor’s lobbyists in the committee meeting rooms. He says he has been receiving invitations from the competing firms since last spring.
“I’ve received invitations to various air shows, but I’ve told them my calendar is full,” he said.
Kanerva has also criticised the firms’ targeting of dozens of military officers, even if the law in Finland permits such activity.
“Of course I would hope that the best of the best would be working for the public, and not private lobbying firms,” the seasoned politician said.
Defence force readiness
Ex-Air Force Commander Lauri Puranen says the Finnish Defence Forces is powerless to prohibit officers from working in the private sector, but ventures to say that the officers in question are not out lobbying, but are instead used to provide important military expertise to the defence manufacturers.
The Finnish Broadcasting Company Yle has also learned of attempts by the lobbying teams to influence officers currently serving in the Finnish Defence Forces. For example, in a recent meeting of the Nordic Officer Alliance known as NOA, the Finnish representatives were seated next to officers that enthused about the excellence of their fighter fleets and weaponry. Discussions about jet technologies and performances at joint air exercises are also unavoidable.
Puranen admits that the phenomenon is not unknown to him, but says he has trained his officers to beware of attempts to influence their opinions during the tender process, and believes that they have taken his warnings to heart.
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The deal is predicted to cost a whopping 7 to 10 billion euros, with twice or even three times this amount to be spent on the new fleet throughout its life cycle.
The preliminary schedule for the acquisition of the fighter planes is as follows: complete the tender process in 2019, sign the contracts in 2021 and deliver the new fleet in 2025.
Requests for information were sent to the US, Swedish, French and UK defence departments, who forward the request to the respective contractors.
Manufacturers included in this first round of assessment include two US contractors: Lockheed Martin and Boeing, the Swedish Saab, French Dassault and the Eurofighter group, led by the UK, but also including Germany, Italy and Spain.
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from Defense Aerospace - Press releases http://ift.tt/2fNGcPW
via Defense
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