Finland and Sweden signed an Arrangement regarding weapons systems

Finland and Sweden signed an Arrangement regarding procurements of soldiers’ weapons systems and associated technologies in Tampere on 3 September 2021. The Arrangement provides guidelines for carrying out possible joint procurements.

By this Arrangement, Finland and Sweden create conditions for carrying out procurements involving a family of small arms and associated accessories to be used by both countries as joint procurements.  

For Finland, the agreement was signed by the Chief of the Defence Forces Logistics Command, Major General (Eng.) Kari Renko with the authorisation of the Minister of Defence, and for Sweden, by the Director of Land Systems at the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration, Brigadier General Mikael Frisell.

- The Arrangement specifies the practical measures related to the procurement methods as well as the organisation and administration of procurements of soldiers’ weapons systems and associated technologies. This, indeed, shows in practice that the defence materiel cooperation between Finland and Sweden is advancing, says Major General (Eng.) Kari Renko.

- I am happy that we have advanced to this Technical Arrangement phase in the cooperation between Finland and Sweden involving soldiers’ systems. This Arrangement provides clear guidelines for implementing the cooperation between the countries involving joint procurements, for example, of weapons and ammunition, and optronics related to the Army soldiers project.  The aim is to improve interoperability between Finland and Sweden including the compatibility of materiel and security of supply of both countries, says Inspector of the Infantry, Colonel Rainer Peltoniemi.

The countries signed an information exchange agreement regarding small arms and associated technology in April 2021.