The Finnish Defence Forces said procurement decisions are based primarily on military capability. “There hasn’t been an equally competitive alternative available elsewhere,” said Juha-Matti Ylitalo, Deputy Chief and Brigadier General Engineer at the FDF Logistics Command.
Finland also spends heavily on its domestic defence industry, but advanced weapons systems often have to be sourced from abroad. These include fighter aircraft, missiles and air defence systems.
Israel is Finland’s second-largest foreign defence supplier. Its deliveries include systems such as the David’s Sling air defence system and Gabriel anti-ship missiles.
Despite the war in Gaza, Ylitalo said Israel remains “one supplier among others” when future purchases are considered. The comment indicates that Israel continues to be assessed as part of Finland’s wider procurement options.
Over the past 10 years, Finland has bought, or received approval to buy, more US materiel than almost any other European country. Between 2008 and 2026, Finland’s US defence procurement totals 42.3 billion US dollars, with the F-35 fighter programme accounting for about 10 billion euros.
Only Germany, Poland and Turkey have purchased more US defence equipment than Finland. According to Ylitalo, Finland’s procurement is in line with wider European trends.
The figures come as the United States continues to urge European allies to take greater responsibility for their own defence and increase military spending. Washington has praised Finland as a model ally for investing in defence and strengthening cooperation with the United States.
The United States has also signalled that countries which do not increase military spending should not expect the same level of American support in the future. Finland’s position among major European buyers of US defence equipment comes as allied governments face growing pressure to expand their own military capabilities.
Source: YLE.
