Finland’s Border Guard is moving ahead with a major modernization push that places secure connectivity at the center of its anti-drone strategy. Nokia has been selected to build the network that will support the new system, along with protected patrol vehicles and other border surveillance assets.
The project is designed to strengthen situational awareness across the country’s eastern frontier and coastal areas. It also aims to improve the ability of border units to share information quickly and respond faster to emerging threats.
Secure connectivity for real-time command
Nokia Defense will deploy an intelligent network built for high-speed, secure communications. The system is intended to allow real-time data sharing between field platforms and command-and-control systems, a capability that is increasingly important for border protection and infrastructure security.
Mikko Hautala, president of Nokia Defense, said reliable and secure connectivity has become critical for defense organizations. He said that need is directly tied to how they detect, understand, and respond to threats that continue to evolve.
The company says its connectivity and smart sensor technologies can help border agencies improve situational awareness and speed up responses. In practice, that means better support for surveillance, anti-UAV operations, and related security tasks.
Part of a €44 million modernization plan
The Nokia project sits within Helsinki’s €44 million, or about $50 million, investment to modernize the Finnish Border Guard. The wider program includes fixed surveillance, mobile anti-drone systems, and protected patrol vehicles.
Those assets are expected to be deployed mainly along the eastern border and in coastal regions. The system must also remain compatible with other national security bodies, which adds another layer of operational importance to the project.
Beyond Nokia, the initiative is also supported by a Finnish-Nordic joint effort involving Marine Alutech, Saab, and 61N Solutions. Marine Alutech will supply patrol boats, Saab will provide patrol vehicles based on the Sisu GTP platform, and 61N Solutions will integrate them into the border guard’s enterprise network.
Testing before any production decision
Finland’s Border Guard is also using national and European Union funding to build systems that improve its ability to monitor and counter UAVs. The same systems are also intended to support criminal investigations, expanding their role beyond border defense alone.
Major General Jari Tolppanen, Chief Engineer of the Finnish Border Guard, said the service and its industry partners must always be ready to update technology and methods as needs change. Initial evaluations of the vehicles, boats, and network systems are scheduled to run from 2027 into early 2028 before any possible production decision is made.