The letter of intent is related to the improvement of the Army’s night fighting capability. The aim of this R&D partnership is to provide the Finnish Defence Forces with the option of procuring domestic night vision devices that combines high performance, security of supply, cost-effectiveness, and compatibility with the existing and future Finnish soldier systems.
The letter of intent covers the development of the following products for the Finnish Defence Forces:
- A next-generation night vision goggles based on M20 technology, with improved ergonomics and a new helmet mount.
- A tactical thermal binoculars based on uncooled thermal camera technology, utilizing both existing and new software solutions developed specifically for the Finnish Defence Forces.
- A next-generation multipurpose fire control system based on smart sight technology for several weapon platforms e.g. support weapons and anti-tank weapon systems.
Other countries will also be able to join the development of the night vision devices at a later stage.
The ability to fight day and night and in challenging conditions is a key capability in the modern battlefield. According to Aki Korhonen, President of Senop Oy, this letter of intent reflects a trend in which 24/7/365 fighting capability, ergonomics, and the ability to fire rapidly with high first-round hit probability in all situations are crucial factors in achieving victory on the battlefield. The development of new night vision devices is a significant and strategically important project for us. Korhonen emphasizes that serving the customer is our top priority, and the Finnish Defence Forces are our most important customer. Through testing and R&D cooperation with end users, we are able to hone the usability and performance of our equipment to a razor’s edge.
