Finland and Ukraine have signed a drone cooperation agreement aimed at strengthening their defense industries and supporting Kyiv’s security.
The deal covers technology transfers and joint research and development on uncrewed systems.
It also seeks to streamline administrative procedures for exporting equipment and technology between the two countries.
Finland expects the cooperation to help Ukraine counter drone threats while giving Finnish industry access to lessons drawn from Ukraine’s battlefield experience.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo began discussions on the agreement during a meeting in Armenia in May.
“[Finland’s] Ministry of Defence has been negotiating this agreement closely with Ukraine for months. We have found a model that advances the goals of both countries,” said Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen.
“This agreement will now take the cooperation that has worked well so far to a new level.”
Drone Production in Finland
The agreement comes as Finnish state-owned defense firm Patria Group pursues plans to produce drones in Finland with Ukrainian manufacturer General Cherry.
The companies signed a letter of intent in August. Patria sees the partnership as part of its push to expand its role in European defense technology.
“Unmanned defense systems are central to the future of defense, which is why we have invested in development of unmanned systems for years as part of our operations,” said Mikko Leino, executive vice president of Patria’s Defence and Weapon Systems business area.
“The partnership with General Cherry further reinforces Patria’s expertise in unmanned defense systems and drone development.”
