Decision time

摘要

With the final entries included for Finland's landmark HX Fighter Programme - which will introduce a new combat air platform into service to replace the existing F/A-18 C/D Hornet fleet - industry will now revert to a waiting game ahead of a decision by the prospective customer in late-2021.The HX Fighter Programme represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for both the Finnish Air Force and global industry. For Finland, which has been operating the F/A-18 since 1995, the decision taken in just a few months time will shape its combat air posture for the next 35 years. It will have to take into account a number of factors - cost, capability, ability to network with potential allies and industrial workshare.