The Finnish Minister of Defence, Mr. Antti Häkkänen has authorized the Finnish Defence Forces to start serial procurement of Bittium Tough SDR Handheld and Vehicular radios and related accessories from Bittium Wireless Ltd, a subsidiary of Bittium Corporation. The total value of the procurement would be approximately EUR 25.6 million and it would be the third additional purchase related to the additional purchase option included in the purchase agreement signed on December 12, 2018. The Finnish Defence Forces will issue a separate purchase order for the products and related accessories. The products are planned to be delivered during the year 2025. The product deliveries are planned to start during the remainder of the year 2024.

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 procurement authorized now 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.

“We have achieved a major milestone in the development of our Bittium Tough SDR radios. The products are now ready for serial procurement. We thank the Finnish Defence Forces for the close cooperation during the product development phase. In cooperation we have been able to ensure that the radios meet the requirements of the Finnish Defence Forces and the battlefield. The product development and performance enhancements for the products will continue for their existing features. This continuous development ensures that the performance of the products is sustained according to the requirements of the battlefield in the ever-changing conditions,” says Tommi Kangas, Senior Vice President of Bittium’s Defense & Security business segment.

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.