MVX evaluations complete ‒ negotiations continue
Purchase of Multipurpose Aircraft ‒ the MVX program ‒ is moving forward as planned. In June, all 4 prime candidates were invited to FBG HQ in Helsinki for 3 day negotiations each. Negotiations covered the offered package, price and contract terms, among other items.
The MVX program is aiming at finding the solution that best meets capability requirements whilst maintaining reasonable life cycle costs. The tenderers were given the chance to update their Intermediate tenders based on the June negotiations. The updated tenders were received in August and they are being assessed presently.
The prime candidates are:
- Field Aerospace, Canada
- L3Harris Technologies, USA
- Sierra Nevada Corporation, USA
- ST Airborne Systems, Sweden.
The primes are proposing the following aircraft types:
- Bombardier Challenger 650, Canada
- Dassault Falcon 2000LXS, France
- Cessna Citation Longitude, USA.
Aircraft and mission system evaluations were completed in August. The compliance of the proposed systems was confirmed in the evaluations, as well as their suitability for Finnish Border Guard missions.
The MVX program evaluated in practice the following systems:
- Aircraft
- Mission Management Systems (MMS)
- Electro-Optic and Infrared camera systems (EO/IR)
- Maritime Search Radars
- Certain new sensors and systems.
The MVX evaluation team and factory test pilots in Wichita, USA, before the evaluation flight of the Cessna Citation Longitude. Image: Finnish Border Guard.
The evaluations were performed by a team of Air Patrol Squadron personnel, including technical experts, fixed wing aircraft crew members and flight test personnel. First in turn were the MMS’s which were evaluated in April and May in Turku and Helsinki.
The aircraft were evaluated in stages between May and August. Aircraft evaluations consisted of a considerable amount of ground inspections and in flight tests, both in daylight and darkness. Also full flight simulators were used to assess handling qualities of the candidate aircraft.
- ST Airborne Systems in cooperation with aircraft manufacturer Textron facilitated the evaluation of the Cessna Citation Longitude in Turku May 16‒18 and a simulator evaluation in the USA May 27. As it was not possible to perform all the evaluation test points in Finland, a flight with the factory test aircraft was arranged in the USA August 24.
- The aircraft manufacturer Bombardier facilitated the evaluation of the Bombardier Challenger 650 in Vantaa May 21‒24 and a simulator evaluation in the USA August 23. As it was not possible to perform all the evaluation test points in Finland, a flight with the factory test aircraft was arranged in the USA August 23. Both Sierra Nevada Corporation and Field Aerospace took part in the events, as they both are proposing the same aircraft type.
- L3Harris in cooperation with aircraft manufacturer Dassault facilitated the evaluation of the Dassault Falcon 2000LXS and simulator in France May 31 ‒ June 2.
The MVX evaluation team and factory test flight personnel in Wichita, USA, after the evaluation flight of the Bombardier Challenger 650. Image: Bombardier.
The sensor evaluations were carried out between June and July at several locations in the USA, France, Germany and the Netherlands. In addition to technical performance, emphasis was placed on operator work load incurred by the use of the sensors in realistic conditions similar to Finnish Border Guard operational scenarios.
In the following stage a second round of negotiations may be held in addition to a possible down selection. After that a Final Request for Quotations will be delivered to the candidates still competing at that stage. The Best and Final Offers are expected late this year in order to be able to sign a procurement contract by the end of 2023.
The MVX evaluation team and factory test flight personnel in Istres, France, after the evaluation flight of the Dassault Falcon 2000LXS. Image: Dassault.
Further information: Purchase of Multipurpose Aircraft | The Finnish Border Guard (raja.fi)
