Finland is deploying a new radio surveillance system on the border with Russia

The Finnish Border Guard is deploying a new radio surveillance system for the areas near the border with Russia and the maritime areas.

Initially, this system will be installed on new reconnaissance aircraft and ships.

The system allows border guards to detect, localize, identify and control sources of radio frequency electromagnetic radiation.

In practice, the new system will be able to detect and locate, for example, a mobile phone in the border area. However, the system will not be able to link the device to a specific person.

The new surveillance system will provide border guards with better information about what is happening in the border area.

It will also allow for a faster response to potential threats. Radio surveillance will not replace patrolling, but it will make it more effective.

“We will place the new equipment in areas that we consider critical. The systems can also be mobile,” the deputy head of the technical department of the Finnish Border Guard shared.

The Finnish Border Guard received permission to implement the surveillance system last year. The surveillance system is currently under development. The new system will be completed in stages during 2026 and 2027.

“The Border Guard Service does not have the authority to intercept the content of the messages it detects. This is not a matter of intelligence, but of border security control,” the Finnish officials said.

The system can also be used in rescue operations, such as searching for missing persons.

Security on Finland’s border changed significantly in 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. As a result, the Border Guard needed to improve its surveillance systems. Until now, border guards have been unable to detect radio devices or cell phones.

Recently, Russia threatened Finland and Sweden with nuclear weapons. According to the Russian authorities, the countries that recently joined NATO have become legitimate targets for the Russian Armed Forces.