Finland is the first country to use the long-range air defence system “the David’s Sling” outside Israel, but Israel’s refusal to send arms to Ukraine has made the Finnish government take extra measures to ensure security of supply.

The deal with the Israeli manufacturer Rafael Advanced Defence Systems was long in the making, and the changed international situation affected its content. Israel has refused to send arms to Ukraine due to its shared interest in Syria with Russia. This has led to Finland taking precautionary measures to ensure no interruptions in material deliveries if a crisis occurred.

As formulated in the Defence Ministry’s press release, ”the procurement contract will include a separate part between the Israel Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Defence of Finland to ensure the security of supply of the system. The arrangement will ensure the availability of critical system components in all security situations.”

According to the Finnish Defence Ministry, the price – which could go as high as €660 million – will improve the operational range of the country’s ground-based air defence capabilities significantly up to 15 kilometres. Currently, Finland can intercept missiles mainly by using fighter jets. Developed with the US, Israel put it into service in 2017 and will be in operational readiness in Finland by the end of the decade.

(Pekka Vänttinen | EURACTIV.com)