Finland OOB 10.1
 

First, thank you for your extensive work on stretching the game end date to 2025 and all the work you have put in those OOBs.

This time I'm concentrating on artillery. In FDF, there are numerous models to track but those have been cut back at least to some extent, especially the old Soviet Union built stuff.

As equipment, FDF lists following field guns, SPAs and MRLs: (http://maavoimat.fi/kenttatykisto)
155 K 89 FG
130 K 54 FG
122 H 63 FH
122 PSH 74 SPA
298 RSRAKH 06 MRL
122 RAKH 89 MRL

152mm Field Guns and Howitzers

In 8/2012 a blogging FDF officer wrote (in comments as a reply to a question) that:
From another reply,

A: "122 RAKH 89 jatkaa palveluksessa, arvioisin että vielä ainakin 15 vuoden ajan."

A: "122 RAKH 89 will continue in service, I'd say at least for 15 years [2027]."

Then from the artillerist magazine I found the exact dates for 152 TELAK 91:
http://tykkimiehet-fi-bin.directo.fi...2015_netti.pdf

First test rounds: summer 1994
Second round: summer 1995
Conscript training starts: January 1996
Taken to museum: June 16th 2015 (2 pieces, rest scrapped)

I haven't found confirmation, but it is my understanding that 152 K 89 (2A36), the sister of 2S5 Giatsint was scrapped at the same time. Others were scrapped at this feast: http://web.archive.org/web/201104110.../1135265132950

So 152mm guns end dates as I know:

• 152 H 37 (ML20): 12/2000
• 152 H 88-37: 12/2007 (estimated)
• 152 H 88-40: 12/2007 (estimated)
• 152 H 55 (D20): 12/2011
• 152 K 89 (2A36): 6/2015

MODIFY
Unit 551 - 122 RAKH 89
End date: 12/2025

Unit 167 - 152mm Field Gun, H37 (ML20)
Incorrect start date, found credible reference for end date
http://www.jaegerplatoon.net/ARTILLERY6.htm
Start Date: 1/1946 (same as 188 - 152mm Platoon, same gun and weapon#1)
End Date: 12/2000

Unit 170 - 152mm Field Gun, H55 (D20)
End Date: 12/2011

Unit 193 - 152mm Platoon, K89
End Date: 6/2015

Unit 328 - 152 TELAK 91 (2S5)
Start Date: 1/1996
End Date: 6/2015

Re: Finland OOB 10.1
 

Don, note the accidental copy of start date @ Unit 170, 152 H 55 / D20 (I copied the lines from above but missed that). Start date modification removed.

Re: Finland OOB 10.1
 

Missing from previous post
MODIFY
Unit 171 - 152mm Field Gun, K89
End Date: 6/2015

New stuff:

100 50 TK fixed coastal turret was retired 2007-2012.
p. 50-51 http://www.rannikonpuolustaja.fi/archive/2013_1.pdf
"Neuvostoliiton hajoaminen 1990-luvulla, rannikkotykistön ja merivoimien ydistäminen 1998 ja puolustusvoimien säästöpäätökset johtivat usean 100 TK-patterin hylkäämiseen 2000-luvun alussa. Monesta linnakkeesta luovuttiin kokonaan. Moni patteri jäi deaktivoituna paikoilleen. Toinen deaktivointivaihe saatettiin loppuun vuonna 2012, jolloin ammuttiin viimeiset 100 TK-ammunnat Upinniemessä. Tykit poistettiin ja asemat peitettiin metallilevyllä."

"The breaking up of Soviet Union in 1990's, combining coastal artillery and navy 1998 and cost savings of FDF lead to abandonment of multiple 100 TK batteries in early 2000's. Many forts were completely removed from service. Many batteries were left deactivated as they were. Second phase of deactivation was finalized in 2012 when last firings of 100 TK were performed in Upinniemi. Guns were removed and turret positions covered with metal sheets."

MODIFY
Units 590,591,592 - 100 mm Turret / + / IR
End Date: 6/2012

130mm Turret remains, projected until 2020's now.

Re: Finland OOB 10.1
 

SP-Mortars

MODIFY
Unit 333 - Bv206 SP-Mortar

Bv206 SP-mortars have incorrect weapon, rate of fire and possibly crew.
According to http://www.worldlibrary.org/article/...finnish%20army the BV206 SP-Mortar is L16 81mm, Finnish designation 81mm Krh 13. Unfortunately I don't have confirmation to this and FDF pages are not up-to-date with these. However, the other option is 81mm KRH 71-96 Y, also known as 81mm KRH 90 in OOB.

81mm L16 (British BV 206) / Fin BV206 KRH 64 differences
Range: 113 / 116 (130 if KRH 71, 156 if KRH 90)
ROF: 7 / 5
Crew: 5 / 8
Ammo: 90 / 80
Speed: 17 / 18
Weight: 12 / 13

Add weapon 81mm Krh 13, copy from British OOB. Alternatively use weapon #045 or #119, 81mm Mortar 71 or 90
Adjust ROF to 7 as usual to 81mm mortars.
Adjust crew to 5 (4 mortar crew + 1 vehicle driver)
Adjust ammo load to 90 in line with the British.

MODIFY
334 - Nasu SP-Mortar

National defence university thesis https://www.doria.fi/bitstream/handl...pdf?sequence=2 is the source for this:
p. 19: Heitinryhmät muodostuvat kranaatinheittimenjohtajasta sekä viidestä (5) heitinmiehestä, joista yksi on oman toimensa ohella ajoneuvon kuljettaja.
"Mortar units consist of unit leader and five (5) mortar operators, of whom one is also the driver of the vehicle."

Ammo load: According to the thesis there's 4 ammo carriers for 9 firing units, carrying roughly 700 rounds or ~80 per mortar. If the true amount is something to be used then adjust ammo load, if game balance requires that units shouldn't have double the usual amount then let it be.

Modify crew: 6

Re: Finland OOB 10.1
 

Bit confused here, in game they carry 40 rounds & I cant see what the ammo carriers carry impacting this.

Re: Finland OOB 10.1
 

For example MRLs have been adjusted to two full salvos. They have an external ammo carrier, not modeled in game.

Re: Finland OOB 10.1
 

Revisiting the old PR from FDF: they say Bv206 + 81mm mortar has a crew of 6. page 10 in
http://web.archive.org/web/201510051...df?MOD=AJPERES

I'll post a larger list of copy-paste errors and issues I found later this or next week.

Re: Finland OOB 10.1
 

Miscellaneous fixes

Biggest stuff first.

SPAAG
322 - ItPsv Leo 2 AA
Unit has incorrectly inherited T-55 features (speed, armor etc) instead of Leo 2A4. Icon has been correctly changed. :)

321, 322 - ItPsv *
Thermal imaging was ordered in 1996 but the installation wasn't finished until 2002. According to my sources, some of the installations were finished by 2000.
Modify: Unit 322, Vision: 40
Modify: Unit 321, Vision: 40, Start date 1/2000
Add: Copy of current Unit 321 but with start date 8/1992 and end date 12/2002 (unit without TI)

Source:
http://yhdistykset-akaa.fi/reservila...inaari2016.pdf
"Vaunuihin tilattiin lämpökamerat vuonna 1996, mutta asennustyö vei kaikkiaan 6 vuotta."
"Vehicles had thermal cameras ordered in 1996 but the installation took 6 years in total."

"Tornien toimitukset tapahtuivat syksyllä 1991. Aseet tulivat suoraan Sveitsistä AseV3:een. Testien ja ammuntojen jälkeen lopullinen hyväksyntä vaunuille tuli elokuuhun 1992 mennessä."
"The turret delivery occurred in fall 1991. Weapons came directly from Switzerland to AseV3 [my guess: Arms Depot 3]. After tests and firings the final acceptance for vehicles happened in august 1992."

Small stuff
F/A-18 Hornet was given the JDAM as requested earlier, but mk84 used has also the JDAM kit as do the smaller ones.
- 462: JDAM 2000 lbs (now dumb iron bomb)
- 459: AGM65 Maverick -> AGM154 JSOW
JASSM (AGM158) is also probably coming in to the arsenal this year.

111 - NSV AAMG
- Vision 15, from 1/2000
Add: Copy of current Unit 111 but with start date 1/2000 and vision 15
http://maavoimat.fi/itkk
"Heijastintähtäintä voidaan käyttää valonvahvistimien kanssa."
"The reflective sight can be operated with a light amplifier"

046 - Bv 208
- ROF=0, weapon exists (should be ROF=9?)

574 - AGL Nest
KrKK 2005 has 90 HE ammo, others have 30/10 ratio of HE/HEAT.
Suggestion: give 70/20 HE/HEAT

033 - BMP-2FIN
- No armor upgrades stated. If this is a game design issue or other justification exists, skip this.

207 - RBS-70 SAM
- Only Bolide missiles have been ordered and received, not Mk2 missiles at all as per the earlier TO&E post.
Suggestion: remove or put 0 as nation id

Re: Finland OOB 10.1
 

Some typos in unit numbers:
046 - Bv 208: Should be 045 - Bv 208
574 - AGL Nest: Should be 576 - AGL Nest

Also on BMP-2FIN, to clarify: Modernization didn't add any armour as any additional weight was found to downgrade maneuverability. In OOB the armour has some improvement.

Re: Finland OOB 10.1
 

Quick note on recent events (nothing to change OOB yet):

Minister of Defence signed the MRLS ammunition purchase contract. Deliveries start in 2016.
http://www.defmin.fi/ajankohtaista/tiedotteet?9_m=7650

also:
FDF to negotiate with South Korean military about purchasing used K9 Thunder 155 mm SPA.
http://www.defmin.fi/ajankohtaista/tiedotteet?9_m=7898

Re: Finland OOB 10.1
 

OBAT 065 FINLAND

Unit 346 - StuG M40G end of service date incorrect. Given as 12/1975.

"Panzer III and it's variants" by Spielberger says that Finland's StuG 40s were kept in action thanks to spare parts purchased in 1948 from Norway, which included a complete StuG 40 and 20~ Pz III chassis.

Some of these vehicles were used for training purposes; while others were stored as Army Reserve Stocks.

In 1960, all 45 remaining StuG 40 were released for use in training, and they remained in service until December 1966, when they were scrapped.

Re: Finland OOB 10.1
 

NEW UNIT(S) -- Immobilized Tanks as Pillboxes

While looking at information on the web on Finnish StuG 40s, while trying to find photos of them on parade in the 1950s and 1960s, I found some info (mostly the same thing repeated over on multiple sites) that after the StuGs were withdrawn for scrapping/disposal in December 1966 a few StuGs found themselves dug in as motionless pillboxes at a few strategic airfields in Finland to protect against surprise attacks.

At first, I thought it was :re: because my BS alarms were going off; but I found a page on Finnish StuGs that specifically listed an exact hull # and the location where it was dug in.

LINK

A old forum post from 2007 was also found detailing other pillboxed vehicles and the modifications made to pillboxed vehicles:

LINK

Re: Finland OOB 10.1
 

http://yhdistykset-akaa.fi/reservila...sa_sodassa.pdf
(Text seems to have a typo or missing word, translating as I understood it should read. Samaan = "to the (very) same" which makes no sense at all, maybe "samaan aikaan" ~ "at that time")

Re: Finland OOB 10.1
 

Just when I thought I had done my homework before writing about the changes in weaponry FDF drops this shell:
http://www.iltalehti.fi/uutiset/2016...29469_uu.shtml

Finnish reports to OSCE had been under the true numbers for FGs. For example in 2014 Finland had reported zero 152mm FGs but in 2016 numbers they list 24 of them. This is because the treaty does not include the navy strength and some of the equipment was under navy control as coastal defense batteries. Quoting the article: "The military leadership was mostly fooling the civilians; that is, researchers, politicians and the general public, who are forced to rely on the OSCE public notices as the only source of information."

152 K 89 (2A36) will probably need an extension to what has previously been written in the light of this new information.

Re: Finland OOB 10.1
 

Finland continues shopping second-hand equipment: This time 8 Leopard 1 AEV engineer tanks (and 8 Leopard 1 ARV which aren't portrayed in SP) from Netherlands. Unit #102 in Dutch (#28) OOB. Delivers and training 2017-19, operational this 2020 or mid-2019. Link to Finnish defence ministry release: http://www.defmin.fi/ajankohtaista/t...nuja.8253.news

***
So in last few years Finland has purchased the following used, but fully serviceable equipment:

K9 Thunder, South Korea 2017
Leopard 2A6, Netherlands 2014
Stinger MANPADs, USA 2014 (overhauled, not used;) )
BV 206, Norway 2012
MT-LBV, Sweden 2011
Restocked Spike and TOW missiles from Netherlands and Denmark

Re: Finland OOB 10.1
 

Finland to purchase Leopard 1 tanks from Netherlands:
http://www.defmin.fi/ajankohtaista/t...nuja.8253.news

8 as recovery vehicles
8 as mine clearing / engineering vehicles

Training starts with professional officers in 2017, deliveries in 2018-2019. Conscript training timetable is not mentioned.

Re: Finland OOB 10.1
 

155mm K9 SPG has now a local designation:
K9FIN Moukari (Sledgehammer)
https://twitter.com/PasiPasivirta/st...20832911335424

Link above shows a model in Finnish colour scheme.