Finland and Israel have secretly signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for defense cooperation until 2034, the Finnish media reports. The agreement was signed despite criticism from Finnish opposition parties. The agreement includes cooperation between the countries in R&D and procurement of defense equipment.
According to the Finnish Broadcasting Corporation Yle, the original MOU was signed in 2013, and it was the Finnish government that proposed to extend it in early 2024 - with the latest pact being until 2034. Previously, the agreement was extended for five years at a time, while now it has been extended for a decade.
The largest deal between the countries was signed in November 2023, when Finland procured Rafael's David's Sling air defense system for €317 million. David's Sling intercepts medium- to long-range rockets and missiles, as well as cruise missiles, using the Hit to Kill mechanism (direct impact of the interceptor on the target). David's Sling was jointly developed by the Defense Ministry's Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA), led by the main developer, Rafael. The system includes a two-stage, rapidly maneuvering interceptor missile, with two homing and guidance systems installed at its nose - a radar and an electro-optical sensor.
The system provides Israel with an intermediate layer of protection between the Iron Dome for short-range threats, and the Arrow system for long-range threats, and to serve as a defense system against cruise missiles.
Criticism in Finland
Yle reported that the MOU between the countries includes the establishment of a joint coordination group for Finland and Israel, which meets once a year to discuss bilateral defense ties. The publication in the Finnish media sparked criticism from local opposition parties. Green League head Sofia Virta defined the government's policy as a "historical shame," and claimed that the government in Helsinki is choosing to deepen its ties with Israel instead of increasing pressure on the war in the region. Minister of Antti Hakanen dismissed the criticism and explained that this is one of about 40 such agreements that Finland has.
Yle also noted that among the prominent collaborations between the Finnish defense industry and its counterparts in Israel is the collaboration between Rafael and Finnish defense company Patria o integrate the Trophy defense system into locally manufactured armored vehicles.
The Trophy system has been operational since 2010. In 2018, it was sold to the US armored forces, and in 2021 it was selected for the German Leopard tank and the British Challenger tank. Today, the system is installed on 16 platforms around the world. Since October 2023 in Israel Trophy has been operational with hundreds of systems maneuvering in the field. In the face of the challenge of anti-tank missiles, which experts define as unprecedented, the system has coped successfully.
In the Finnish case, the integration of Trophy will increase the defense capability of Patria AMV XP 8X8 vehicles against anti-tank missiles, UAVs and other threats. One of the advantages of Trophy is its ability to identify the source of the enemy's launch, including the direction and distance. In this way, both the crew in the vehicle and crews on other platforms can respond to the source of the fire. The commander of the Finnish army, Janna Jääkkola told Yle that his country is looking for the systems that best meet its defense needs, and declined to specify the scale of cooperation with Israel.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on August 30, 2026.
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