Estonia, Finland plan to throw noose around Russian Baltic fleet
Finland already equips its navy with the Gabriel V anti-ship missile (pictured) but will it go a step further and procure the Blue Spear? (Photo: Finnish Navy)
A move by Estonia and Finland to integrate their respective coastal defence systems would turn the Gulf of Finland into an ‘internal sea’ for NATO.
Finland and Estonia are set to integrate their respective coastal defence systems as a step towards bottling up the Russian Baltic fleet if they ever decide to close the Gulf of Finland.
Noting the need for coastal defence integration with Estonia in a 12 August interview with Finnish newspaper Iltalehti, the country’s defence minister Hanno Pevkur said: ‘The flight range of Estonian and Finnish missiles is greater than the width of the Gulf of Finland [45km at its narrowest point]. This means that we can connect our missile defences and share all our information with each other.’
If Estonia
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Italy’s U212 Near Future Submarine production builds pace as upgrade plans mature]()
Italy’s U212 Near Future Submarine production builds pace as upgrade plans mature
Andrea Simone Pinna, OCCAR-EA combat system officer for the U212 NFS programme, outlined production progress, new capabilities and plans for the Italian Navy’s next-generation conventional submarine.
-
![AUKUS settles into steadier waters as industrial pathways widen]()
AUKUS settles into steadier waters as industrial pathways widen
Sessions at UDT 2026 signalled that the AUKUS programme is pressing ahead at a steady pace – with trilateral commitment reaffirmed, Australian industrial capacity expanding and additive manufacturing emerging as an opportunity for suppliers.
-
![How Canada is preparing the future River-class destroyers to endure uncrewed threats]()
How Canada is preparing the future River-class destroyers to endure uncrewed threats
Designed in 2019, Canada's new River-class destroyers are planned to be handed over by the 2050s. The long procurement timeline has cast doubt on whether the platforms will be obsolete for tomorrow’s warfare.
-
![Latest Russian subsea standoff puts pressure on the UK’s seabed defence strategy]()
Latest Russian subsea standoff puts pressure on the UK’s seabed defence strategy
UK defence secretary John Healey’s exposure of a covert Russian deep-sea operation against undersea infrastructure in the Atlantic validates the Royal Navy’s Atlantic Bastion concept but lays bare a capacity gap that autonomous systems, allied integration and sustained investment must close.
