The agreement was signed by Tommi Kangas, Senior Vice President of Bittium’s Defense & Security Business Segment, Major General Tero Ylitalo, Chief of the Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command, and Johan Andersson, Deputy Director of the Command and Information Systems Division at the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration. It supports joint product development and strengthens cooperation between Finland and Sweden in defence communications.
Bittium’s Tactical Wireless IP Network™ and Tough SDR™ radios, developed with the Finnish Defence Forces, form the backbone of the system, which is already in use in four European countries. Several other nations are currently running pilot projects with Bittium’s technologies.
The framework agreement is initially valid for ten years and will automatically renew annually thereafter. It also opens the door for other Nordic countries, including Norway and Denmark, to join the agreement under broader defence cooperation.
“Cooperation between Finland and Sweden in the field of defense has become commonplace, and this is yet another demonstration of its effectiveness. Joint framework agreements enable cost-effective joint procurements, which improve the countries’ ability to operate together. Joint framework agreements in the field of command-and-control systems allow for larger procurement volumes, resulting in lower prices for products and services. These agreements also enhance our ability to engage in joint product development with the system supplier. With this agreement, we achieve broad benefits for our defense,” says Finnish Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen.
“We are proud that Bittium’s solutions meet the future needs of defence. Modern defense forces require not only reliable and resilient communications but also high-level security, interoperability, and flexibility,” says Tommi Kangas, Senior Vice President, Bittium’s Defense & Security Business Segment, and continues, “We are excited about the opportunity to expand cooperation to other Nordic countries through this agreement. Harmonizing the communication solution between the Nordic countries would enable efficient and seamless communication in all defense operational domains.”
“Developing command-and-control systems in cooperation with Sweden strengthens our defence capability and improves the interoperability of our troops. Joint solutions enable efficient information exchange and decision-making in all operational domains. This agreement is a step towards even closer Nordic defence cooperation,” says Major General Tero Ylitalo, Chief of the Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command.
