Finland’s RBS 70 NG air defence system procurement will expand the country’s short-range ground-based air defence coverage, after the Ministry of Defence (Puolustusministeriö) authorised the Finnish Defence Forces (Puolustusvoimat) to buy updated Swedish-made systems from Saab.
The decision was announced on Friday by Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen, who said the new systems will strengthen Finland’s ability to respond to different aerial threats. The procurement is worth €108 million excluding value-added tax and includes munitions, training equipment and a maintenance system.
Finland strengthens short-range air defence
The new purchase concerns the RBS 70 NG ground-based air defence system, produced by Sweden’s Saab Bofors Dynamics. It is an updated version of the ITO05M mobile surface-to-air missile system already used by the Finnish Defence Forces.
According to the ministry, the system will improve Finland’s ability to counter both unmanned aerial vehicles and manned aircraft. This makes the procurement relevant not only for traditional air defence, but also for the growing challenge posed by drones in modern warfare.
“We are developing Finland’s air defence system against a full range of threats,” Häkkänen said. “Safeguarding our preparedness requires appropriate and modern systems for each type of threat. This procurement is only one component of a larger package.”
Why the RBS 70 NG system matters for Finland
The RBS 70 NG is a short-range air defence system designed to protect troops, infrastructure and specific areas from low-altitude threats. Saab describes the wider RBS 70 family as a system used by several armed forces, with newer versions developed to respond to drones, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.
For Finland, the purchase adds another layer to a defence model built around territorial coverage, conscription and a large trained reserve. Regular personnel, conscripts and reservists will be trained mainly by the Salpausselkä Air Defence Battalion of the Karelia Brigade (Karjalan prikaati), based in Vekaranjärvi, Kouvola.
The new capability is expected to be fully operational by the end of the 2020s. This gives the Finnish Defence Forces a medium-term timeline to integrate the system into existing air defence structures.
A Nordic defence link after NATO enlargement
The deal also underlines the growing role of Nordic defence cooperation after Finland and Sweden joined NATO. Finland became a NATO member in April 2023, while Sweden followed in March 2024. Since then, both countries have deepened military integration with Nordic and allied partners.
The purchase from Saab fits into a broader pattern of regional defence procurement and interoperability. Finland already operates earlier RBS 70 systems, and Saab said in 2022 that Finland had ordered Bolide missiles for its existing RBS 70 ground-based air defence systems.
The latest decision therefore does not introduce a completely new family of weapons. It updates and expands a system that Finnish forces already know, reducing some of the training and integration challenges associated with a new platform.
Air defence remains central to Finland’s security planning
Finland’s defence planning has changed significantly since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and Finland’s accession to NATO. The country shares a long border with Russia and has continued to invest in capabilities designed for territorial defence, resilience and rapid mobilisation.
Short-range systems such as the RBS 70 NG do not replace aircraft, long-range air defence or NATO-level deterrence. They serve a different function: protecting local areas and military units against threats that may operate at lower altitude or closer range.
Häkkänen’s statement suggests that Helsinki sees this purchase as part of a wider air defence package rather than a standalone measure. The emphasis on a “full range of threats” reflects the lessons of recent conflicts, where drones, missiles and conventional aircraft have all shaped battlefield conditions.
For Finland, the updated Swedish system is therefore both a practical procurement and a sign of a wider Nordic security shift. As Finland strengthens its national defence within NATO, cooperation with Sweden is becoming increasingly central to the region’s military architecture.
