Finland to procure munition from US
Finnish Minister of Defence Jussi Niinistö has given his approval to procure munitions for a heavy rocket launcher system from the US, it was announced on 8 February. The proposal was supported by Finland’s Cabinet Finance Committee.
The $78 million procurement will consist of Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) Unitary munitions for precision fire and the GMLRS Alternative Warhead to engage area targets. Both the munitions will have a range of about 70km.
The munition will be manufactured by Lockheed Martin in the US and delivered in 2016-2018. The procurement will be as Foreign Military Sales from the US government. With the help of the new munitions, the Finnish defence forces will aim to improve the use of the GMLRS and achieve new long-range capabilities the statement said.
Lockheed Martin’s MLRS family of munitions includes three rockets and four missiles with an additional six variants in development. The GMLRS system incorporates a GPS-aided intertial guidance package integrated on a rocket body. Small canards on the rocket nose provide basic manoeuvrability. GMLRS has a modular design that enables future growth.
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