Finland’s military has acquired hundreds of drone jammers and detectors. This move is part of a broader effort by countries on NATO’s eastern flank to strengthen defenses following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The widespread use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in Ukraine has intensified the urgency to build anti-drone capabilities within NATO. This urgency increased after approximately 20 suspected drones entered and were subsequently shot down over Polish airspace in September.
New Counter-Drone Equipment Procurement
Finland’s Defence Forces, which joined the NATO military alliance in 2023, confirmed the procurement of several new systems. Colonel Mano-Mikael Nokelainen, Air Defence Inspector for Finland, provided details:
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SkyWiper Omni Max Jammers: Hundreds of these jammers, produced by Lithuania-based NT Service, have been acquired. They create a protective dome spanning hundreds of meters. This dome blocks the control, video, and navigation signals of drones.
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Deployment: The jammers will be placed around critical infrastructure and military bases.
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Purpose: Nokelainen stated this is “very important for the troops’ self-protection,” as it prevents drones from flying over military units.
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Detection and Targeting: The military also acquired handheld Airfence drone detectors from Finnish company Sensofusion and Smash add-on rifle sights from Israel-based Smartshooter. The sights help soldiers target and shoot down drones more effectively.
Nokelainen noted that the new equipment is intended to counter small reconnaissance drones.
Finnish Drone Fleet and Training Strategy
Finland is also expanding its own UAV capabilities. The Finnish Army currently operates a fleet of nearly 1,000 First-Person View (FPV) reconnaissance drones.
Lieutenant General Pasi Valimaki, Commander of the Finnish Army, said the military will train up to 500 new drone pilots annually.
The military plans to order more drones of different types and counter-drone equipment next year. However, Valimaki stressed the need for procurement optimization. He warned against stockpiling too many devices that could quickly become obsolete due to rapid technological developments. He added that the volume must match the training mission while also building production capacity for crisis conditions.
Modern Warfare Transformed
The ongoing conflict has demonstrated how the use of drones has fundamentally transformed modern warfare. Remotely piloted UAVs can quickly spot and neutralize targets.
Mikael Vihera, one of the conscripts training at the Niinisalo base, described the difficulty drones present for battlefield survival.
He explained that if a drone spots even one combatant, it risks revealing the location of the whole military grouping. The risk posed by drone flights of unknown origin has also led to recent airspace disruption across Europe.
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