Finland’s 1,100-kilometer coastline and 178,000 islands are getting a significant security upgrade. The Finnish Border Guard has signed a deal to procure eight new hovercrafts from British manufacturer Griffon Marine Ltd, with delivery scheduled between 2026 and 2027. The new Griffon 2000TD vessels will replace an aging fleet that is approaching the end of its operational life in the coming years, ensuring year-round border security in the challenging Baltic Sea environment. This multi-million euro investment highlights the critical role of air-cushion technology in safeguarding a nation where water and ice dominate the landscape.
For the Finnish Border Guard, the hovercraft is not a novelty but a necessity. The vessels are uniquely capable of operating across open water, ice, marshes, and shallow archipelagos, especially during the ‘kelirikko’ periods—the freeze and thaw seasons when the ice is too weak for vehicles but too thick for conventional boats. This seasonal mobility gap creates a significant vulnerability that only hovercraft can reliably bridge. 'These vessels are irreplaceable for our mission in the archipelago,' a Border Guard spokesperson stated in the procurement announcement, underscoring their role in border surveillance, search and rescue, and maritime safety enforcement.
Strategic Procurement from a NATO Ally
The decision to source the vessels from the United Kingdom carries both practical and geopolitical weight. Griffon Marine is a respected global supplier of specialized hovercraft, suggesting Finland prioritized proven technical capability. From a foreign policy perspective, procuring major defense and security assets from a fellow NATO member strengthens alliance interoperability and supply chains. This move aligns with Finland’s deepened security integration following its accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 2023. The procurement process itself, governed by EU public procurement directives, was conducted as an international tender, with the UK company ultimately winning the contract on technical and commercial merits.
Finland’s existing hovercraft fleet has been actively deployed by the West Finland and Gulf of Finland Maritime Border Guard Districts. These districts encompass vast and complex island zones, particularly the Turku Archipelago, which is a labyrinth of over 20,000 islands. The new Griffon 2000TD models, at nearly 13 meters long and 6 meters wide in hover mode, represent modernized equipment with likely improvements in navigation technology, communication systems, engine efficiency, and crew ergonomics. While the exact contract value remains confidential, such specialized military-grade assets represent a substantial, long-term investment in national security infrastructure.
The Indispensable Role in Northern Waters
Maritime security experts point to the uniquely demanding conditions of the Baltic Sea as justification for the fleet renewal. 'Conventional coast guard cutters are essential workhorses, but they are confined to navigable waterways,' explains Dr. Jari Rantapelkonen, a professor of Arctic Security at the Finnish National Defence University. 'The hovercraft provides the Border Guard with a critical third dimension of mobility—the ability to go almost anywhere, regardless of the surface condition. This is a force multiplier for surveillance and rapid response in our territorial waters.' This capability is vital not only for border control but also for environmental monitoring, aid to distressed mariners, and inter-agency cooperation with police and customs.
The procurement is a routine lifecycle renewal, not a direct response to a specific new threat. However, it occurs against a backdrop of heightened regional tension in the Baltic following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Securing Finland’s extensive maritime border, which includes the strategic Gulf of Finland approach to Helsinki, is a perennial priority. A reliable, all-season patrol capability acts as a deterrent and ensures sovereignty is actively maintained. The lengthy delivery timeline, stretching to 2027, indicates careful planning to ensure no gap in capability as older vessels are phased out.
A Niche Capability with Broad Implications
Finland’s commitment to hovercraft technology stands out in a European context. Few other EU or NATO nations maintain such a dedicated fleet for border security, making Finland a niche expert in their operational use. This expertise is increasingly relevant as climate change alters ice conditions in the High North, potentially creating similar unstable surface conditions in other Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. The knowledge gained from decades of hovercraft operations in the Finnish archipelago contributes to broader European security and crisis response knowledge pools.
From a domestic policy perspective, the purchase was likely debated within the framework of the government’s defense and security budget. It represents a tangible output of Finland's consistent, cross-party political commitment to fully resource its border and defense authorities. The investment will be scrutinized by the Eduskunta’s Finance Committee, but such essential equipment for a core state function typically garners broad parliamentary support. The decision also indirectly supports European defense industry cooperation at a time when strategic autonomy is a key EU topic.
The arrival of the new hovercraft fleet in 2026-2027 will mark the start of a new chapter for the sailors of the Border Guard. They will transition to operating some of the most advanced hovercraft available, built for the specific rigors of the Nordic environment. For the residents and visitors of Finland’s stunningly beautiful but often treacherous archipelago, these vessels represent the reassuring presence of the state in all seasons. As one veteran Border Guard officer famously remarked during a past rescue operation, 'When the ice is moving and nothing else can get through, the hovercraft is the only knight we can send.' Finland is ensuring that knight remains on duty for decades to come.