Finland allocates €44 million to build drone defence system on borders

Finland’s Border Guard will use €44 million from a supplementary state budget to build a multi-layered drone defence system along the country’s borders, Yle reports.

The funding will go toward a fixed surveillance network and mobile counter-drone units, including heavy patrol vehicles and vessels equipped with detection and neutralisation systems. The approach combines multiple methods, as no single solution can address all threats.

“There is no one system or technical fix that works against every possible drone threat. We need several different systems to respond to different scenarios,” said Johannes Kallionpää of the Border Guard.

Some drones can be countered with radio signal jamming, while others require physical interception, including the use of anti-drone weapons and interceptor drones.

The threat landscape has shifted with the proliferation of drones, which can now originate from any direction. Modern drones have ranges of up to 2,000 km, making it difficult to predict their approach, according to retired Lieutenant Colonel Jarmo Nieminen, who monitors drone use in the Russia-Ukraine war.

“Previously, it was easier to anticipate the direction of a potential threat. Now, an adversary can launch a drone from any compass point,” Nieminen said.

Prototype patrol vehicles will first be tested to determine required capabilities before full deployment. The system is designed to be redeployable to high-risk areas as needed.