Finnish Defence Forces Started Serial Procurement of Bittium Tough SDR™ Tactical Radios from Bittium Wireless Ltd, a Subsidiary of Bittium Corporation
November 5, 2024 – The Finnish Defence Forces has started the serial procurement of Bittium Tough SDR Handheld and Vehicular radios and related accessories by issuing a purchase order to Bittium Wireless Ltd, a subsidiary of Bittium Corporation. The value of the purchase order is approximately EUR 25.6 million and it is the third additional purchase related to the additional purchase option included in the purchase agreement signed on December 12, 2018. The deliveries for the purchase order will be started during the year 2024 and they will be finalized during the year 2025. Bittium announced on November 4, 2024, with a stock exchange release that the Finnish Minister of Defence Mr. Antti Häkkänen had authorized the Finnish Defence Forces to start the serial procurement of Bittium Tough SDR tactical radios.
Bittium Tough SDR Handheld and Vehicular radios will be integrated as part of the Finnish Army’s M18 C5 system and the Finnish Defence Forces’ family of radios. The Tough SDR radios will gradually replace the Finnish Defence Forces’ existing stock of analogue tactical radios with modern software-defined radios enabling broadband tactical communications. The serial procurement enables expanding the usage of the new radios in all the military branches of the Finnish Defence Forces and the subordinate establishments operating under the Defence Command.
The radios will offer significantly better performance compared to the earlier generation of digital tactical radios thanks to the software and waveforms used in the radios. It enables carrying out performance enhancements for the radios throughout their whole life cycle. The Tough SDR radios are compatible with the software-defined radio based Bittium Tactical Wireless IP Network™ (TAC WIN) system already used by the Finnish Defence Forces.
Bittium issued a stock exchange release on December 12, 2018, on the purchase agreement for Bittium Tough SDR radios signed by the Finnish Defence Forces and Bittium. The purchase agreement includes terms for additional purchases, according to which, the Finnish Defence Forces have an option to purchase additional tactical radios and related accessories, training, and system management for the Army, Air Force, and Navy based on the prices agreed in the purchase agreement.
Bittium Tough SDR™ product family
Bittium Tough SDR product family of tactical radios consists of Bittium Tough SDR Handheld™ radio for dismounted soldiers and Bittium Tough SDR Vehicular™ radio for vehicle installations. The Tough SDR radios help to produce and share real-time situational awareness to all levels of the organization. This improves the performance and the effectiveness of the tactical troops, and leading the troops is easier based on the up-to-date situational awareness and more reliable connections. The uniquely wide range of frequency bands in the radios improves combat survivability. Using several waveforms, even simultaneously, improves compatibility and enables operations on different levels and missions. The radios are compatible with ESSOR High Data Rate Waveform that is standardized by NATO and enables tactical communications between troops from different nations. Together with the software-defined radio based Bittium Tactical Wireless IP Network™ (TAC WIN) system, used for forming a tactical broadband mobile IP backbone network, it is possible to bring broadband data and voice to all mobile troops starting from brigade level and all the way across the battlefield to an individual soldier.
Photos courtesy Bittium
