Finland has decided to contribute to the protection of Danish airspace in connection with the international summits in Copenhagen. According to a press release from the Finnish Ministry of Defence, a military unit with the capability to detect and counter drones will be deployed.
The decision was made by the President of the Republic on the government's proposal, following a formal request from Denmark. The Finnish unit will operate under Danish leadership.
– By participating in the operation, we are sending concrete support to another Nordic country and NATO ally. Drones are a current threat, and Finland has strong capabilities to address it, said Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen in the press release.
President Alexander Stubb commented on the decision in a post on X:
– Finland fully supports Denmark in its efforts to secure airspace and counter hybrid threats. To make the support concrete, Finland has decided to send a Counter-UAS unit, and the Border Guard will contribute with its own capabilities, he wrote yesterday.
Häkkänen confirmed in a separate post that the Finnish unit has the capacity for both detection and countermeasures.
The background is several major meetings in Copenhagen on 1–2 October, including an informal EU summit on European defence and support for Ukraine, as well as a meeting of the European Political Community with participants from a total of 47 countries. The agenda includes drone threats, hybrid influence, and the security situation in Europe. In the days leading up to the meetings, the Danish Defence has confirmed several observations of drones at military installations, including Skrydstrup Air Base and the Jutland Dragoon Regiment's barracks in Holstebro.