#Eurofighter (still prefer #Typhoon) is strongly pushing the European angle with most major European powers having a stake in the program. Total sovereignty over mission data was also a big deal, and the (re)newed focus on EW-capabilities was also promoted
The Eurofighter has a bunch of strong cards: the independence angle is a big deal for Finland, as is the large number of major operators (second only to F-35) and the fact that it is likely the premier #QRA platform of the lot.
On the downside, how invested these operators will be in the platform in the 2050's is uncertain, and the aircraft has built up a reputation of being expensive to operate. How expensive is an open question that is difficult to answer from open sources.
The #Rafale was next in line. Dassault has notably tuned their talking points to better fit Finnish conditions. Like Finland, they have strong sense for the importance of being able to stand alone.
The Rafale brings a lot of interesting options to the table, and despite being seen as an underdog it might prove a surprisingly good fit for the Finnish Air Force's concept of operations.
However, France is lacking in the kind of proven trusted partnership with Finland that many of the others can offer. If there really is a good common ground to stand on is also somewhat questionable, considering the experiences from the last few major French projects in Finland.
There's much to be said about the Gripen, having a proven pedigree for the kind of dispersed operations that Finland is looking for. The inclusion of the #GlobalEye is a high-stakes gamble, that could prove to be the game-winning move.
The issue for the Gripen is that it is the least mature platform throughout the field, still being in the development phase. Another is the shaky future, with Sweden as the sole "major" (60 aircraft) operator coupled with Swedish defence policy being notorious for sudden swings.
Fourth out of the gate was #F35, the aircraft everyone is looking to beat. This is without doubt the most unique aircraft amongst all five. Is that a good thing? Probably, but not definitly.
F-35 is very-low observable, especially when it comes to the crucial aspect of X-band radars. It is also the only contender that is absolutely 100% beyond all reasonable doubt in service when Finland is going to retire HX some time beyond 2060.
The claim by Lockheed Martin is that the sensor fusion and interface is on another level compared to the competition. The competition dispute that notion. It is impossible to say for certain who is correct based on open sources. If true, it is a big plus.
The questions here are surrounding the industrial cooperation program (contradictory information of which was published following the media event) as well as the suitability to Finnish CONOPS (i.e. how maintenance heavy is the aircraft).
That all aircraft can handle road bases was confirmed by FinAF on the last media event, so that argument was laid to rest there (though note that "can handle short runways" is a different argument from "suitability for dispersed operations).
