Finland is rapidly expanding its anti-drone capabilities as NATO's eastern flank adapts to new security threats linked to Russia's war in Ukraine.
As reported by Reuters, the Finnish military has confirmed it has acquired hundreds of drone jammers and detection systems, part of a broader effort to harden defenses after Russian drones repeatedly entered NATO airspace in recent months.
Finland steps up anti-drone defences:
At a base in Niinisalo, officials showcased the SkyWiper Omni Max jammers, devices that create a protective dome capable of disrupting a drone's control, video, and navigation signals.
Finland is also adding Airfence handheld detectors from local firm Sensofusion and rifle-mounted "Smash" sights from Israel's Smartshooter, which help soldiers track and shoot down small reconnaissance drones.
Alongside defensive equipment, Finland is boosting its own drone operations. The army operates nearly 1,000 FPV reconnaissance drones for training and plans to train up to 500 new drone pilots annually, and more drone purchases are expected next year.
Colonel Mano-Mikael Nokelainen, Air Defence Inspector for Finland:
"It is very important for the troops' self‑protection. In other words, it makes it possible to prevent drones from flying over the troops. We must optimise the number of procurements, that is, the volume, to match the training mission we have. Then we must build production capacity for crisis conditions."