Finland's Ministry of Defence has granted the Finnish Defence Forces (Puolustusvoimat) authorisation to procure new thermographic optics and associated equipment and spare parts through NATO's procurement organisation, the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA).
The procurement covers what is known as a thermal or heat optic attachment, a device mounted in front of a telescopic sight on the weapon.
– Through this procurement, the new sniper and support weapons will gain thermal imaging capability meeting the requirements of the Finnish Defence Forces, says Finland's Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen in a press release from the Ministry of Defence.
According to the Ministry of Defence, the procurement has been conducted by the NATO body NSPA, and the TigIR-M20 sights in question are supplied by German manufacturer Andres Industries AG. The total contract value amounts to over 24 million euros excluding VAT.
The procurement forms part of Finland's Taistelija programme, which covers the development of capabilities for night combat and precision marksmanship.