Finland Deploys Israeli Gabriel Mk.5 Missiles on Naval Combat Duty

The Finnish navy has officially placed Gabriel Mk.5 anti-ship missiles on combat duty, seven years after selecting the Israeli-made system.

The report was published by Helsingin Sanomat.

Designated SSM2020 in Finnish service, the missile now ranks among the navy’s two primary weapons alongside sea mines. The first operational units have been integrated onto upgraded Hamina-class missile boats and will later equip the upcoming Pohjanmaa-class corvettes, with the first vessel scheduled for launch in May 2025.

Finland selected the Gabriel Mk.5 in 2018 to replace its aging MTO85M anti-ship system, a locally designated version of Saab’s RBS 15 Mk2. Competing offers in the international tender included Kongsberg’s NSM, MBDA’s Exocet, Boeing’s Harpoon, and Saab’s RBS 15.

The €162 million contract, with an option of up to €193 million, covered missiles, launchers, simulators, spare parts, and training. Deliveries were planned between 2019 and 2025, with the system expected to remain in Finnish service into the 2050s.

The Gabriel Mk.5, developed by Israel Aerospace Industries, features a penetrating warhead for maritime and land-based targets. Powered by a turbojet engine, it flies subsonically at low altitude and has a range exceeding 200 kilometers. Guidance is provided by an inertial navigation system with satellite correction, while its terminal phase employs an active radar seeker with anti-jamming capabilities for all-weather use.

Israel’s navy conducted its first test launch of the missile in September 2022.