Finland’s police are set to update their firearms inventory, reportedly replacing the venerable Heckler & Koch MP5 with the Czech CZ Scorpion EVO 3. YLE, Finland’s national public broadcasting company, reports that with the end of a contract with Heckler & Koch, Finland’s Poliisi are set to transition to the Scorpion EVO 3.

Since September 2017, Finland’s national police force has increased its submachine gun use. The increased terror threat saw more officers equipped with carbines. Police patrol units, operating in public places and transport hubs, have been issued MP5s while all officers also carry their duty pistol. It seems that Finland is now looking to rearm with a different submachine gun. Police Inspector Ari Alanen, of the Finnish National Police Board, said that “the technical features are a bit different, so setting up for automatic fire is a little easier.”

Finnish poliisi officer armed with an MP5 (Jussi Nukari/Lehtikuva, File via AP)

Finland’s specialist armed response officers, the Police Rapid Response Unit or Bear Team (Karhu-ryhmä), are typically armed with Heckler & Koch G36C carbines and some LMT CQB MRPs.

The Finnish police have previously issued the Glock 17, which began to be replaced by the Walther P99Q, a dedicated police duty pistol variant of the P99, in 2012. The Walther P99Q, however, has not had a smooth ride in service and in 2016 some 2,000 service pistols were said to be defective. YLE report that the Walther may also soon be considered for replacement or be supplemented by a new duty pistol just as the Glock was.

CZ Scorpion EVO 3 A1 (CZ)

Earlier this year YLE also reported that Finnish police officers use force in approximately 1,000 incidents a year, out of around 1 million. 80 of these incidents requiring the use of their firearms although it is rare that firearms are discharged. Only 7 criminals have been shot and killed by police since 2000 in Finland.

Sources: 1 2 3 4