Finnish navy adapts to drone threats and GPS jamming in major Baltic Sea exercise

The Finnish Navy’s ongoing Narrow Waters 26-1 exercise in the Gulf of Finland is adjusting tactics to counter drone surveillance and GPS signal disruption, with around 3,000 personnel from Finland, Germany, Estonia, and the US taking part, Yle reports.

Drone threats have forced changes in troop movement, with soldiers now prioritizing cover to avoid aerial detection, according to Toni Lindholm of the Uusimaa Brigade. “We stay under tree cover and avoid open terrain to reduce visibility from above,” Lindholm said.

GPS jamming—linked to increased Russian electronic warfare activity—has also become a factor in the exercise, particularly in the eastern Gulf of Finland. “The farther east we operate, the more we encounter GPS and other signal interference,” said exercise commander Marko Laaksonen, adding that troops train to function under such conditions.

The annual Narrow Waters drill, focused on coastal and archipelago defense, runs until May 29 and includes helicopters, fighter jets, and uncrewed systems. A separate Finnish Air Force exercise on drone defense will take place later this week in Kymenlaakso, South Karelia, and the eastern Gulf of Finland.