Insta and the Finnish Defence Forces have signed a multi-year agreement for the delivery of domestically produced FPV drones for use in the training of Finnish conscripts. The agreement has a total value of €14 million, including options, and the first systems have already been delivered to the Finnish Defence Forces.
The FPV drones are designed, tested and manufactured in Finland, building on Insta’s experience in defence technology, secure communications and data links, and unmanned systems.
The systems manufactured by Insta have been tested and approved by the Finnish Defence Forces. They will support the expansion of large-scale flight training across Finnish Army brigade-level units using micro unmanned aircraft systems capable of carrying mission-specific payloads.
FPV drones, which provide operators with live video through a first-person-view system, have become an increasingly important capability in modern warfare. The Finnish Army has recently expanded its use of FPV drones and related training.
FPV Drones Designed for Finnish Conditions
Insta’s experience in defence technology, unmanned aviation, secure communications, data links and systems development provides the basis for its domestic drone production capabilities.
The company currently manufactures 7-inch and 10-inch FPV drones designed for a range of operational requirements. The systems are designed, tested and manufactured in Finland and are intended to operate in Nordic conditions.
Their modular architecture allows mission-specific payloads to be integrated and enables the systems to be adapted as operational requirements change.
Focus on Scalable Drone Systems
Insta’s FPV drone development extends beyond the aircraft themselves to include complete systems combining the platform, control systems, communications, situational awareness capabilities, payloads, training, maintenance and sustainment.
The development work draws on Insta’s experience in developing, manufacturing and sustaining defence technology, together with cooperation with industry partners.
Tuure Lehtoranta, Senior Vice President, Sales, Marketing and Government Relations at Insta, said the modern operating environment requires reliable and scalable solutions that can be rapidly adapted. He added that the development work has also incorporated international lessons from the changing security environment and the use of drones on modern battlefields.
Juha-Matti Ylitalo, Deputy Director of the Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command and Brigadier General (Eng.), said domestic drone production strengthens security of supply and supports the operational readiness of the Finnish Defence Forces.
