Finland Eyes Buying Counter Artillery Radar Systems

Finland is planning to acquire counter artillery radar systems in the coming years.

According to a report in Thursday’s Helsingin Sanomat, Finnish Defence Forces may soon get a completely new counter artillery radar system, an untried system for domestic armed forces. The paper said the system would be completely new to Finnish Defence Forces.

The officials have observed the effectiveness of the system in targeting and destroying enemy artillery and projectile launchers during the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Russia-backed separatists been using the system in Ukraine.

The price tag for the system is expected to run into tens of millions of euros, and Finnish officials plan to send a request for information to the manufacturer during the spring. The final price will be determined by the scope of the system purchased.

Defence Forces artillery inspector Colonel Pasi Pasivirta told the paper that the aim is to fast track the acquisition schedule so that the radar system will be in active use by 2020.