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Finland will acquire Israel Aerospace Industries’ Gabriel anti-ship missile system for its navy, the defense ministry said in a statement.
The new missile system – dubbed Surface-to-Surface Missile System 2020 – will be installed aboard Hamina and Squadron 2020 class ships and on a “vehicle platform†on Friday, July 6. Release noted.
The € 162 million ($ 190 million) purchase includes launchers, missiles, simulators, test equipment, spares and training, and includes a € 193 million option ( $ 227 million).
Delivery is expected to begin in 2019 and be completed by 2025. The purchase “will impact” the capabilities of the Finnish Navy through the 2050s, the statement said.
Israel Aerospace Industries’ Gabriel missiles are a family of anti-ship missiles first developed in the 1960s.
The Gabriel system competed with Kongsberg’s Naval Strike Missile, MBDA’s Exocet, Boeing’s Harpoon, and Saab’s RBS15.
On February 5, the US State Department approved the sale of 112 RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles to Finland for $ 622 million. A DSCA statement said Finland intended to use the missiles on its Hamina-class and corvette-class ships, as well as coastal batteries.
Squadron 2020
Finnish Navy Squadron Project 2020 aims to replace seven ships with four modern corvettes to be built in Finland and scheduled for use in the 2050s. The weapons and sensors for the ships will be purchased outside the country.
Final procurement decisions will be made in 2018 and ships will be built between 2019 and 2024
Along with maritime patrol and air defense, the Navy says the corvettes could be used for mine-laying and anti-submarine warfare.
On February 21, the US State Department approved the sale to Finland of four Mk 41 missile launch systems for the new corvettes at an estimated cost of $ 70 million, and on February 5, the State Department approved the sale to Finland of 68 SeaSparrow Evolved. Missiles (ESSM) which are used for air defense and can be launched from Mk 41 systems.
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