The Finnish Defence Forces have placed an order for new anti-battery radar systems from Israel. The radar system, which is mounted on artillery units, detects incoming projectiles from hostile forces and locates the ground position of the weapons firing them.
The Defence Forces declined to comment on the value of the deal and did not disclose the number of anti-battery radar systems involved. The price of such acquisitions is usually made public, but in this case it was deemed to be critical information about the Army’s performance capabilities and therefore too sensitive to reveal.
The Israeli contractor ELTA Systems emerged winner of an international bidding round to supply the materiel. The first units are expected to be delivered in 2021. The deal also includes an option to later order new radar units on terms to be separately agreed.
Defence Minister Jussi Niinistö said Finland needs the new radar units, which have been highlighted in conflicts in Ukraine and Syria. The systems can also be used for fire management and air traffic control.
"Artillery needs to be mobile and if its anti-battery radar doesn’t conform to modern warfare [standards], then it is no use," the minister noted.
The Defence Forces came in for heavy criticism the last time it purchased military hardware from Israel.
Left Alliance current and past chairs Li Andersson and Paavo Arhinmäki condemned a hundred-million-euro missile deal as immoral in light of Israel’s military operations in the West Bank and Gaza.