Finland’s accession to a project to develop Strategic Airlift Capability
Government Communications Unit
Press Release 81/2008
25 March 2008
On Tuesday, 25 March, the meeting of the President of the Republic and the Cabinet Committee on Foreign and Security Policy made a decision on Finland’s accession to a project to develop Strategic Airlift Capability, SAC.
Finland's participation in preparedness activities under the European Union’s crisis management functions and the continuously more and more demanding crisis management operations have introduced needs for the creation of a national, strategic airlift capability. The Asian tsunami disaster and the earthquake in Pakistan have manifested the need for a capability to rapidly carry out relief and evacuation flights.
An intersectoral working group was appointed in September 2006, on the basis of the Government Report on Finnish Security and Defence Policy 2004, to assess three alternatives with which to meet the need and procurement options for a strategic air transport capability. The alternatives were: 1) Create the capability for the Finnish Defence Forces, 2) Develop a state/commercial operator partnership, and 3) Obtain the capability through international collaboration. According to the conclusions of the working group report, it would be economically impossible to procure a heavy airlift capability based on nationally owned aircraft. The working group proposes, among other things, that the capability could be procured through international cooperation.
SAC is a project launched in 2006 which currently involves 15 countries with the aim of developing Strategic Airlift Capability. Finland has participated in the SAC project as of the beginning of 2007 – first as an observer and since a decision adopted by the Cabinet Committee on Foreign and Security Policy on 8 June 2007 as a full partner in negotiations. The other countries involved are Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden and the United States. Next, the countries participating in the negotiations are to sign a Memorandum of Understanding.
The members of the SAC consortium would be provided a strategic airlift capability by a joint procurement of three C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft and by creating the necessary elements for their support and maintenance. In addition, a multinational aircrew unit would be established to operate the aircraft. The project is directed by a steering group comprising a representative of each participating country. The participants have a right to use the transport capability in accordance with number of flight hours they have reserved. Finland’s annual need of flight hours is estimated to be one hundred hours.
Further information: Arto Räty, Head of Unit, tel. +358 9 160 88142 and Markku Viitasaari, Senior Staff Officer, tel. +358 9 160 88175, Ministry of Defence