Defence Staff looks for transport planes for Finnish EU battle groups
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Finlands Minister of Defence Seppo Kääriäinen (Centre) has ordered the Defence Staff to determine by the end of the year what arrangements would be needed for the acquisition of two or three military transport planes for the use of Finnish crisis management forces.
The planes would be needed most for the transport of Finnish soldiers participating in the EU’s rapid action battle groups, as well as their equipment. The planes could also be used in civilian operations and for humanitarian missions.
For the time being, Finland is joining the Strategic Airlift Interim Solution (SALIS) under which the EU countries would lease a number of Ukrainian Antonov An-124 planes for transport purposes. However, this would be an interim solution.
Last year’s government defence policy report states that Finnish forces will need access to the transport capacity equivalent of two or three heavy transport planes in the next decade.
Top Defence Ministry official Matti Ahola says that Finland does not plan to buy the massive planes itself, but but will acquire transport capacity through leasing arrangements.
One option would be to continue the SALIS agreement, or to take part in a joint acquisition of transport planes with the Nordic Countries.
Another alternative would be to join large EU countries in the acquisition of new Airbus A400M transport planes.
A third option would be to join forces with the UK, which has leased four large Boeing C-17 transport planes. However, Ahola feels that the British option is mainly theoretical.
The Defence Staff has also been ordered to draw up a list of plans for the conditions under which Finnish air space and military exercise areas could be used by international forces, and to analyse the meaning of the EU security guarantees, as well as the impact that recent spending cuts will have on acquisitions of military equipment.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 24.3.2005 - TODAY |
 Defence Staff looks for transport planes for Finnish EU battle groups |
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