Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen: Finland’s ground-based air defence will have stronger areal coverage

Finland will procure short-range ground-based air defence systems from Sweden.

Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen has authorised the Finnish Defence Forces to procure short-range RBS 70 NG ground-based air defence (GBAD) systems from the Swedish Saab. The procurement will strengthen the areal coverage of GBAD across Finland.
The RBS 70 NG is an advanced version of the Finnish Defence Forces’ mobile surface-to-air missile system ITO05M. The features of the new system will improve Finland’s capabilities to counter both unmanned and manned aerial vehicles.
“We are developing Finland’s air defence system against a full range of threats. Safeguarding our preparedness requires appropriate and modern systems for each type of threat. This procurement is only one component of a larger package,” Minister of Defence Häkkänen says.
Regular personnel, conscripts and reservists will be trained mainly by the Salpausselkä Air Defence Battalion of the Karelia Brigade.
The procurement consists of munitions, training equipment and a maintenance system. Its overall value, without value added tax, is EUR 108 million. The capability will be fully operational by the end of the 2020s.
Inquiries: Jussi Ristimäki, Senior Specialist, Ministry of Defence, tel. +358 295 140 072, and Colonel Mano-Mikael Nokelainen, Inspector of Ground-based Air Defence, Army Command Finland, tel. +358 299 800 (Finnish Defence Forces’ switchboard).