TSAMTO, November 21. Finnish Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen approved the proposal of the command of the Armed Forces of the country to implement an option for the purchase of 38 units of 155-mm SG K9 "Thunder" of South Korean production.
The Finance Committee of the government supported the acquisition at its meeting on November 17.
The contract signed in 2017 for the supply of K9 Thunder howitzers to the Finnish Armed Forces included options for the supply of up to 48 additional installations. The decision approved by the Minister completes the implementation of options. The total cost of the acquisition of 38 SG is about 134 million euros. The delivery is financed by the additional defense budget of Finland.
According to the Minister of Defense, thanks to this acquisition, Finland will significantly strengthen the firepower of the country's Ground Forces.
As reported by TSAMTO, in February 2017, the Finnish Defense Ministry signed a contract with the South Korean Trade and Investment Promotion Agency for the purchase of 48 K9 self-propelled howitzers from the Armed Forces of the Republic of Korea. The sale cost was 146 million euros ($155 million). The ordered SG K9s had to undergo repairs and upgrades before delivery. The agreement also included the supply of spare parts, training of personnel and maintenance of equipment. The contract contained options for the purchase of 48 additional K9.
The option to supply 10 additional units was implemented earlier. Thus, as a result, the Finnish Armed Forces will receive 96 K9 "Thunder" self-propelled howitzers.
The purchase decision was made based on the results of an assessment of the cost and characteristics of new and used 155-mm artillery systems available on the international market. According to the results of the evaluation, it was deemed expedient to purchase 155-mm /52 self-propelled howitzers K9 "Thunder" from the Armed Forces of the Republic of Korea, which meet the requirements of the Armed Forces of the country, can be delivered in a short time, are able to provide high-quality combat training in units of the Finnish Armed Forces formed by conscription and will save financial resources. The preparation of the supplied equipment for the transfer of the Finnish Armed Forces, including painting and equipping with Finnish equipment, is carried out by the Finnish company Millog Oy.
The first howitzers were delivered to Finland in February 2018. The delivery of all 48 howitzers under the basic contract will be completed by 2024. The initial readiness of the guns for combat use should be achieved in 2020, and full – in 2025.
