The Request for Quotation’s for HX-program  (in Finnish) have been transferred to ministry of Defence by last of January. All contenders are still abroad. BUT:

The “Champagne Communist” party of Finland the Vasemmistoliitto has made sort of demand that planes need to be from Sweden. They worded this as “HX-planes need to be bought from non war fighting nation”. This sort of excludes everybody except Sweden. Also, point is moot unless Social Democratic party SDP pulls off election victory in April against Liberal party. If SDP wins Finland will have a leftie-greenie cabinet, in which case SAAB will be the clear political favorite. It would not be the first time SDP walks over the FDF when acquirement decisions are made. If Liberals win, the race is still on without any clear political favorite. The trans-Atlantic policies favor F/A-18 E/F/G or F-35 A. EU policies either Rafale or Typhoon. Maybe Rafale bit more as Germany is leery of using foreign policy leverage, something what the French will not hesitate to use.

And then: Germany will not be considering the F-35 as a replacement for retiring Tornado fleet. Same in Finnish. This is god new of course for Boeing, especially considering the niece the retirement of Tornado will create in Luftwaffe’s SEAD/DEAD cababilities. This is of course straight into Boeing court as they have the only dedicated SEAD/DEAD platform in existence. Typhoon is of course strong as well, because Germany is part of the consortium manufacturing the Typhoons. AS this would drive up the number of planes to be built, it would drive the costs down, so it is sort of good news for HX-program as well.