Equipment of the Finnish Army

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This is a list of weapons used by the Finnish Army

[edit] Armour

Finnish Leopard 2A4 at the Independence Day Parade.
Finnish Leopard 2A4 at the Independence Day Parade.

[edit] Main Battle Tanks

[edit] Infantry Fighting Vehicles

[edit] Armoured personnel carriers (tracked)

[edit] Armored personnel carriers (wheeled)

[edit] Support vehicles

  • BLG-60M2
  • MTU-20
  • VT-55A
  • JVBT-55A
  • KAM-2
  • KAM-1
  • BTS-2
  • GM-569U

[edit] Air-defence

Anti-aircraft protection of important targets are handled by Crotale anti-aircraft missile systems mounted on Sisu Pasi armoured vehicles,[1] ASRAD-R anti-aircraft missile system mounted on Unimog 5000 trucks and by Swiss Oerlikon 35 mm twin-barrel AA guns.[2] Helsinki and other important targets are protected by the late-generation Soviet SAM missile system BUK M1 (SA-11).[3] Close-range anti-aircraft support for troops is provided by 23 mm twin-barrel AA guns (Soviet-made ZU-23-2),[4] shoulder-fired Igla-M missiles.[5]

[edit] Anti-Aircraft Artillery

  • 23 ITK 61 - Soviet 23 mm twin-barreled ZU-23-2 AA gun. 1,100 units.
  • 23 ITK 95 - Modernized Soviet 23 mm twin-barreled ZU-23-2 AA gun.
  • 35 ITK 88 - Swiss Oerlikon 35 mm twin-barreled AA gun. 16 units.
  • 57 ITK 60 - Soviet 57 mm L/69 S-60 AA gun. 48 units, being phased out of service.
  • ITPSV 90 Marksman - 30 mm self-propelled, twin-barreled AA gun, mounted on a T-55 chassis. 6 units.
  • ITPSV SU-57 - Soviet ZSU-57-2 57 mm self-propelled, twin-barreled anti-aircraft gun. 12 units.

[edit] Surface-to-Air Missiles

  • ITO 86 - Soviet SA-16 Gimlet man-portable SAM missiles
  • ITO 86 M - Soviet SA-18 Grouse man-portable SAM missiles
  • ITO 2005 M - ASRAD-R SAM system. Will replace ITO 86 and ITO 86 M
  • ITO 90 - Crotale NG SAM system, mounted on a Sisu XA-181 chassis. 20 units.
  • ITO 96 - Soviet BUK-M1 SAM system. 3 batteries. Including 9A39M1, 9A310M1, 9S18M1, and 9S470M1 vehicles.

[edit] Artillery

[edit] MLRS

  • 227 RAKH 07 - 227 mm self-propelled rocket launcher (M270 MLRS). 22 units.
  • 122 RAKH 89 - Czech 122 mm self-propelled multiple rocket launcher. 36 units.

[edit] Self Propelled

  • 152 TELAK 91 - Soviet 152 mm self-propelled gun (2S5 Giatsint-S). 18 units.
  • 122 PSH 74 - Soviet 122 mm self-propelled howitzer (2S1 Gvodzika). 72 units.

[edit] Field Howitzers

  • 105 H 61-37 - License manufactured Swedish 10,5 cm fälthaubits L/22. 140 units, now withdrawn from service, ca. 40 were given to Estonia.
  • 122 H 63A - Soviet 122 mm towed D-30 howitzer. Three different versions. 486 units.
  • 152 H 55 - Soviet 152 mm towed D-20 howitzer. Being phased out of service. 126 units.
  • 152 H 88-31 - 152 mm towed howitzer. Originally a Soviet 122 mm A-19 gun, modernized in Finland. Being phased out of service. 21 units.
  • 152 H 88-37 - 152 mm towed howitzer. Originally a Soviet 152 mm ML-20 howitzer, modernized in Finland. Being phased out of service. 64 units.
  • 152 H 88-40 - 152 mm towed howitzer. Originally a German 150 mm 15 cm sFH 18 howitzer, modernized in Finland. Being phased out of service. 47 units.

[edit] Field Guns

  • 155 K 98 - 155 mm field gun with an auxiliary power unit to move the gun. 36 units.
  • 155 K 83 - 155 mm towed field gun. 108 units.
  • 152 K 89 - 152 mm towed field gun. 24 units.
  • 130 K 54 - 130 mm towed field gun, also used by the coastal artillery. Being replaced with missiles. 144 units.
  • 130 K 90-60 - 130 mm towed field gun, used by the coastal artillery. 15 units.

[edit] Mortars

[edit] Self Propelled Mortars

[edit] Towed heavy mortars (total: ca. 900)

  • 120 KRH 92 - 120 mm mortar
  • 120 KRH 92-76 - 120 mm mortar
  • 120 KRH 38-77 - 120 mm mortar
  • 120 KRH 3842-77 - 120 mm mortar
  • 120 KRH 85-92 - 120 mm mortar

[edit] Light mortars (total: ca. 1,400)

  • 81 KRH 71-96 Y - 81 mm mortar
  • 81 KRH 71 Y - 81 mm mortar
  • 81 KRH 38 Y - 81 mm mortar
  • 82 KRH 36 RT - 82 mm mortar

[edit] Anti-tank weapons

[edit] Guided

  • PstOhj 2000 - Euro-Spike anti-tank missiles. 100 launchers for MR version, 18 launchers for ER version.
  • PstOhj 83 MA - BGM-71E, TOW 2A, tandem warhead version
  • PstOhj 83 MB - BMG-71F, TOW 2B, top-down attack version

[edit] Unguided

[edit] Infantry weapons

Assault rifles:

Machine guns:

Sniper rifles:

Pistols & submachine guns:

Support weapons

Bilateral trade agreements between Finland and the Soviet Union often included weapons. As a curiosity, many Russian weapons were supplied as a "package". For example, tanks came with AK-47 sidearms for the crew.[citation needed] A large amounts of Soviet equipment was also bought from Germany after German reunification.

[edit] Army Aviation

Four Soviet-produced Mi-8 helicopters are used by the army for transport, hoisting and rescue services. 20 European NH90 TTH (Tactical Transport Helicopters) will enter service in the near-future, replacing the Mi-8s. The Army also uses Hughes 500 D and E helicopters. The Finnish Army has 11 unmanned reconnaissance airplanes (RUAG Ranger), which are used for reconnaissance and artillery targeting purposes. The Finnish Army is also field testing Patria's new mini-UAV.[6]

Due to the 3 year delivery delay of the NH90s, the Finnish Army it considering to repair two of its remaining Mil Mi-8s in Saint Petersburg, in order to increase their lifespan by 5 years.[7][8] Another option, which has been expressed as an intermediate solution is the possible lease, and later purchase, of an unknown number of UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters from the United States.[9]

Aircraft Origin Type Versions In service[10] Notes
MD Helicopters MD 500 Flag of the United States United States utility helicopter MD 500D
MD 500E		 2
6
Mil Mi-8 Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union transport helicopter 2
NHI NH90 Flag of Europe European Union transport helicopter NH90 TTH 1 20 to be delivered
RUAG Ranger Flag of Switzerland Switzerland unmanned reconnaissance 11

[edit] References

  1. ^ Finnish Defence Forces equipment presentation
  2. ^ Finnish Defence Forces equipment presentation
  3. ^ Finnish Defence Forces equipment presentation
  4. ^ Finnish Defence Forces equipment presentation
  5. ^ Finnish Defence Forces equipment presentation
  6. ^ Finnish Army press release
  7. ^ Ruotuväki: Utin kopterit korjaukseen?
  8. ^ www.mil.fi: Mi8-helikoptereille lisää lentotunteja
  9. ^ www.hs.fi/english 9 November 2007
  10. ^ "World Military Aircraft Inventory", Aerospace Source Book 2007, Aviation Week & Space Technology, January 15, 2007.