By Robbin Laird
I attended the Euronaval exposition held in Paris the week of November 3, 2024.
I had a chance to visit the Finnish booth at the show and watch the launch of their report on Finnish technologies in the Baltic Sea presented to the show.
And then I had the opportunity to talk with Tuija Karanko, the Secretary General of the Association of Finnish Aerospace and Defence Companies.
As the abstract contained in the report sums the report up:
The Baltic Sea presents a uniquely challenging operational environment for naval defence due to its shallow waters, complex archipelagos, and harsh climatic conditions. These geographic and environmental factors, combined with the increasing strategic importance of the region, demand specialized technologies and innovative solutions to ensure maritime security, protect critical infrastructure, and maintain uninterrupted sea lines of communication.
This document outlines the key challenges posed by the Baltic Sea and highlights the advanced solutions developed by the Finnish defence industry to address them. If it performs in Finland’s challenging conditions, it will perform anywhere.
The narrative focuses on three critical areas: securing sea lines of communication, naval mine warfare, and mission enablers.
Securing sea lines of communication requires comprehensive surveillance and anti-submarine warfare capabilities to monitor both surface and subsurface threats in the region’s congested and shallow waters. Naval mine warfare leverages the region’s natural geographical features, making it an effective method for area denial and protecting vital assets, with advanced Finnish mine technology playing a central role.
Mission enablers, such as ice-capable vessels, resilient ship technologies, and advanced damage control systems, ensure that naval operations can continue in the region’s demanding conditions.
Through these technological innovations and strategic solutions, the Finnish defence industry is contributing to enhanced naval defence capabilities in the Baltic Sea, ensuring the security and stability of this critical maritime region
Since we last talked two years ago at the previous Euronaval show, Finland and Sweden have joined NATO and Russian aggression against Ukraine has created a very clear threat of Russia to Europe.
But for Finland this is no shock as the country has never focused on peace dividends nor lowered its guard in the Putin period.
Now the Nordic countries are all in NATO and working together in key ways to integrate their defense efforts.
As Karanko highlighted now the three European countries in the High North can work more closely together in the region.
She noted: “When we think of the northern region of the Nordics, an area which we call Lapland in Finland and Sweden and Finnmark in Norway which is basically the area above the Arctic Circle, now the three countries can work closely together. Previously, only Norway was in NATO but now the three countries can shape NATO capabilities in the region.”
She pointed out that Finnish technology has been designed for this harsh environment and has been built to NATO standards for a considerable period. Now their technology can appeal to a larger market.
Of course, Nordic defense integration efforts certainly preceded the ascension of Sweden and Finland to NATO. For years, Sweden and Finland, for example, have worked together on operations and on enablers for operations.
Finnish defense companies are growing due not only to Finland joining NATO but due to the serious security situation facing Northern Europe.
Frankly, whatever happens in terms of settling the war in Ukraine, Putin has stimulated what was impossible before his deliberate armed aggression against modern Europe – Northern Europe working together on defense and security within a NATO framework.
And this is especially important given the importance of the high North in terms of resources and of the opening of the northern passage through which the Chinese now operate as well.
For the 2022 interview, see the following:
For the report, see the following:
PIA_Finnish_Tech_Baltic_SeaSee also our comprehensive look at the return of direct defense in Europe which highlights the significant role which infrastructure protection will play in shaping the way forward.