BERLIN — The U.S. government has approved the upgrade of Finland’s M270 multiple-launch rocket systems, a contract that would be worth up to $395 million, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in an Aug. 1 statement.
Upgrading the vehicles to the M270A2 standard would include modernized communications systems, machine gun mounts and kits for the integration of a battle management system. Additionally, a new 600 horsepower engine, fire control system and improved armored cab would be installed, a Lockheed Martin spokesperson told Defense News.
The modifications would allow the launchers to fire “next-gen munitions including ER GMLRS and PrSM,” the company spokesperson said, referring to Extended-Range GMLRS munitions and the company’s Precision Strike Missile. The only other system with this capability is HIMARS, according to the company.
Work is set to be completed at Lockheed Martin’s Camden, Arkansas, plant.
The U.S. State Department’s approval, conveyed to Congress via the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, is a legal requirement for deals under the Department of Defense’s Foreign Military Sales program to go forward.
Finland has purchased a total of 40 M270 launchers over the past sixteen years, according to the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms. An initial 22 were bought from the Netherlands in 2007 and the fleet expanded in 2014 with the purchase of six systems from the U.S. and 12 for training from Denmark.
First produced in the 1980s, the weapon consists of an armored, self-propelled multiple-rocket launcher that can fire a variety of munitions. According to the Finnish government, it can fire up to 12 rockets per minute at targets up to 400 kilometers away.
Aside from the U.S., several Western countries use the M270, including NATO countries like France, Germany and the U.K.
Spurred by the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Finland became the newest member of the alliance in April. The country shares a 1,340-kilometer border with Russia and maintains a capable army with universal male conscription.
Linus Höller is a Europe correspondent for Defense News. He covers international security and military developments across the continent. Linus holds a degree in journalism, political science and international studies, and is currently pursuing a master’s in nonproliferation and terrorism studies.
