Bombardier jets to help Finland monitor border with Russia

Six months after Ottawa’s decision to prefer Boeing to Bombardier for its surveillance planes, the Finnish government announced Thursday the purchase of two Challenger 650 aircraft from the Quebec company to patrol its border with Russia.

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“The new surveillance aircraft will significantly increase Finland’s capacity in border and maritime security, which is important in the current environment, which is difficult to predict,” said Matti Sarasmaa, head of Finland’s border and maritime department. border guard staff, in a press release.

The planes will be assembled at a Bombardier plant in Montreal before being shipped to the United States, where the defense systems will be integrated. This work will be carried out by the Sierra Nevada Corporation.

The Bombardier aircraft, which will replace Dornier 228 planes, are scheduled to enter service in 2026 and 2027.

$239 million contract

The contract is worth 163 million euros, or 239 million Canadian dollars.

Late last year, Finland closed all crossing points along its more than 1,300 kilometer border with Russia after the arrival of more than 1,000 migrants from countries including Syria and Somalia.

The Swedish group Saab also announced on Thursday the signing of a contract with Stockholm for the delivery of a third GlobalEye aircraft, a modified version of Bombardier’s Global 6500 aircraft.

Recall that in January, the Pentagon selected the Global 6500 for its HADES aerial detection and surveillance program.