Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has won a tender to supply Gabriel Surface-to-Surface Missiles System 2020 (SSM2020) to Finland Navy to replace the current anti-ship missile system with the navy for EUR 162 million, with a EUR 193 million option, and will include launchers, missiles, simulators, test equipment, spare parts and training. The submitted quotations were from NSM (Kongsberg, Norway); EXOCET (MBDA, France); Harpoon (Boeing, USA); RBS15 (SAAB, Sweden) and Gabriel (Israel Aerospace Industries, Israel). The contract, announced by Finland’s defence ministry on 6 July, will take place during 2019-2025.
The system to be purchased will replace the current anti-ship missile system MTO85M that will reach the end of its lifecycle in the 2020s. The new SSM2020 Missiles will be installed on board the Hamina Class and Squadron 2020 Class vessels and on a vehicle platform. The procurement will have an impact on the Finnish Defence Forces’ operations and on the Finnish Navy’s capabilities until the 2050s. The main selection criteria included performance vis-Ã -vis acquisition costs and schedule, lifecycle costs and security of supply, and compatibility with existing infrastructure and defence system. Details concerning quantities of the system to be purchased will not be made public.The purchase will include the launchers, the missiles, simulators, test equipment, spare parts and training. The deliveries will take place between the years 2019 and 2025.
IAI reported that the new Gabriel Missile System is a designed to be superior compared to most contemporary missiles, particularly when employed in littoral waters. Gabriel missiles, created by Israel Aerospace Industries, are a range of anti-ship missiles that use the technique of sea skimming, created in response to an attack on an Israeli warship in 1967. The Mark IV version was in service with the Israeli Navy while other versions are in service with navies around the world. It used an advanced active radar seeker backed by a sophisticated weapon control to optimize operational effectiveness in a target congested battlespace.
