NATO membership brought change. With the M23 program, the decision was made to procure sniper weapons and individual rifles in “Western” calibers. Wishing to maintain domestic production capability, they assigned SAKO the task of developing the ARG (Arctic Rifle Generation).
After years of gradual rapprochement, Finland joined NATO in April 2023.
The formerly neutral country has a culture of independence and gun ownership and is home to commendable marksmen. Due to its location and the peculiar situation of its borders — from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century it suffered repeated invasions and occupation by Russia and Sweden — the population is organized into a comprehensive national defense system. A "skeleton" of a small number of professional soldiers is complemented by citizens who are encouraged to participate and train in border protection duties.
Radical change
The standard rifle of the armed forces is currently the RK95. It represents the latest evolution in a series of designs that SAKO and VALMET developed based on the Kalashnikov AKM. It combines the reliability of the Russian design with ergonomic improvements. They are considered the best versions of the Avtomat ever made. The Finns have also purchased thousands of Russian and Chinese AKMs for the reserves. These weapons use the 7.62x39mm caliber, which is commonly available and effective at short-to-medium distances.
NATO membership brought change. With the M23 program, the decision was made to procure sniper weapons and individual rifles in “Western” calibers. Wishing to maintain domestic production capability, they assigned SAKO the task of developing the ARG (Arctic Rifle Generation). These are modified AR15 pattern rifles that have been optimized for use in Arctic conditions. The modifications are intended to increase reliability in low temperatures and persistent humidity that turns into ice, blocking the internal mechanism. The Swedish armed forces, which have already purchased the ARG (as the Ak24) with 40cm barrels, are also participating in the program.
Two plus one
SAKO developed two variants of the ARG, so the army can decide which one will eventually be adopted.
One (DI) uses an internal Direct Impingement gas system onto the bolt (like the original designed by Stoner for the Colt M16). It offers lower weight, simpler maintenance, and lower recoil. The barrel length is 40cm.
The second (GP) operates with a short-stroke piston, like the HK416. The piston keeps the bolt cleaner and cooler and works better with suppressors. It is intended for applications requiring a shorter barrel.
Both accept common spare parts, magazines, optics, and other components. They use stocks and grips from the American company Magpul, while the handguards and rails are M-Lok and Picatinny specification. The controls are ambidextrous, and the ergonomics follow the Colt M4 pattern.
An enlarged version of the ARG (ARG 50) in 7.62x51mm caliber will replace the Russian Dragunov SVD used by snipers.
A political decision
A recent, lengthy announcement by the Finnish military justifies the transition to NATO calibers and materials. The arguments put forward are securing ammunition sources, the reduced load weight for soldiers due to replacing the heavier "7.62x39" with the American "5.56mm", and the capability for national production.
The latter argument sounds strange, especially considering that Finland has been using and manufacturing 7.62x39mm (for the Valmet RK62, RK72, and RK95 rifles) for 50 years and 7.62x54R cartridges (for machine guns and precision rifles) since the early 20th century.
From the first day of its independence as a state, Finland has always used Russian weaponry. This is realism. Russian weapons, whether combat vehicles or personal weapons, are designed for the "brutal" polar winter that the two countries share.
Secondly, the foresightful and economical Finns have historically understood the logistical and support difficulty of the minuscule reserve army they can muster. Instead of worrying about material shortages, they made sure they could use those that the most likely adversary would bring to the battlefield. The tactic proved correct during the Russo-Finnish wars of 1939-1940. It served them throughout the Cold War. The Russians' shift to the smaller 5.45x39mm weakened the argument, but it still holds true for vehicles, machine guns, and sniper weapons.
The mass rearmament with Western weapons means a huge (for the country's economic standards) “bleeding” of funds. Regarding small arms, hundreds of millions of cartridges stored for decades will be declared obsolete and replaced. As Brigadier General Sami-Antti Takamaa, the army's director of operations, put it, the main reason for this is “interoperability with allies.”
From the moment Finland trades its neutrality and autonomy, it will incur the cost of subordination to the Atlantic alliance. In the case of the M23, this will exceed 525 million euros.
www.bankingnews.gr
The formerly neutral country has a culture of independence and gun ownership and is home to commendable marksmen. Due to its location and the peculiar situation of its borders — from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century it suffered repeated invasions and occupation by Russia and Sweden — the population is organized into a comprehensive national defense system. A "skeleton" of a small number of professional soldiers is complemented by citizens who are encouraged to participate and train in border protection duties.
Radical change
The standard rifle of the armed forces is currently the RK95. It represents the latest evolution in a series of designs that SAKO and VALMET developed based on the Kalashnikov AKM. It combines the reliability of the Russian design with ergonomic improvements. They are considered the best versions of the Avtomat ever made. The Finns have also purchased thousands of Russian and Chinese AKMs for the reserves. These weapons use the 7.62x39mm caliber, which is commonly available and effective at short-to-medium distances.
NATO membership brought change. With the M23 program, the decision was made to procure sniper weapons and individual rifles in “Western” calibers. Wishing to maintain domestic production capability, they assigned SAKO the task of developing the ARG (Arctic Rifle Generation). These are modified AR15 pattern rifles that have been optimized for use in Arctic conditions. The modifications are intended to increase reliability in low temperatures and persistent humidity that turns into ice, blocking the internal mechanism. The Swedish armed forces, which have already purchased the ARG (as the Ak24) with 40cm barrels, are also participating in the program.
Two plus one
SAKO developed two variants of the ARG, so the army can decide which one will eventually be adopted.
One (DI) uses an internal Direct Impingement gas system onto the bolt (like the original designed by Stoner for the Colt M16). It offers lower weight, simpler maintenance, and lower recoil. The barrel length is 40cm.
The second (GP) operates with a short-stroke piston, like the HK416. The piston keeps the bolt cleaner and cooler and works better with suppressors. It is intended for applications requiring a shorter barrel.
Both accept common spare parts, magazines, optics, and other components. They use stocks and grips from the American company Magpul, while the handguards and rails are M-Lok and Picatinny specification. The controls are ambidextrous, and the ergonomics follow the Colt M4 pattern.
An enlarged version of the ARG (ARG 50) in 7.62x51mm caliber will replace the Russian Dragunov SVD used by snipers.
A political decision
A recent, lengthy announcement by the Finnish military justifies the transition to NATO calibers and materials. The arguments put forward are securing ammunition sources, the reduced load weight for soldiers due to replacing the heavier "7.62x39" with the American "5.56mm", and the capability for national production.
The latter argument sounds strange, especially considering that Finland has been using and manufacturing 7.62x39mm (for the Valmet RK62, RK72, and RK95 rifles) for 50 years and 7.62x54R cartridges (for machine guns and precision rifles) since the early 20th century.
From the first day of its independence as a state, Finland has always used Russian weaponry. This is realism. Russian weapons, whether combat vehicles or personal weapons, are designed for the "brutal" polar winter that the two countries share.
Secondly, the foresightful and economical Finns have historically understood the logistical and support difficulty of the minuscule reserve army they can muster. Instead of worrying about material shortages, they made sure they could use those that the most likely adversary would bring to the battlefield. The tactic proved correct during the Russo-Finnish wars of 1939-1940. It served them throughout the Cold War. The Russians' shift to the smaller 5.45x39mm weakened the argument, but it still holds true for vehicles, machine guns, and sniper weapons.
The mass rearmament with Western weapons means a huge (for the country's economic standards) “bleeding” of funds. Regarding small arms, hundreds of millions of cartridges stored for decades will be declared obsolete and replaced. As Brigadier General Sami-Antti Takamaa, the army's director of operations, put it, the main reason for this is “interoperability with allies.”
From the moment Finland trades its neutrality and autonomy, it will incur the cost of subordination to the Atlantic alliance. In the case of the M23, this will exceed 525 million euros.
www.bankingnews.gr
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