Helsinki — The Finnish Defence Forces have signed a multi-year agreement with Finnish technology company Insta Group Oy to procure domestically produced First-Person View (FPV) drones for military training. The agreement was signed on August 24, 2026, and has a total value of up to €14 million, including options.
The first systems have already been delivered to the Finnish Defence Forces after completing military testing and approval. The drones will be used to expand large-scale FPV flight training for conscripts across all Finnish Army brigade-level units.
FPV Training Expands Across the Finnish Army
The Finnish Army began training conscripts to operate FPV drones at the Army Academy in autumn 2025. From the beginning of 2026, the training was expanded to other brigade-level units.
The new procurement will extend this training across all Finnish Army brigade-level units, supporting the systematic development of unmanned systems skills among conscripts.
The FPV drones transmit live video to their operators and can carry mission-specific payloads, including armament. The Finnish Defence Forces are procuring the systems primarily for training, while their design allows them to support different mission requirements.
7-Inch and 10-Inch Finnish-Made Drones
Insta currently produces 7-inch and 10-inch FPV drone variants. The systems are designed, tested and manufactured in Finland and are intended to operate in Nordic conditions.
The drones use a modular architecture that allows mission-specific payloads and other system elements to be adapted as requirements change.
The agreement covers more than the aircraft themselves. Insta is providing control systems, communications and situational-awareness capabilities, along with training, maintenance and sustainment support.
Focus on Domestic Supply and Support
The Finnish Defence Forces said the use of domestic drone production strengthens security of supply and supports operational readiness. Brigadier General (Engineering) Juha-Matti Ylitalo, Deputy Director of the Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command, said domestic production provides an important source for the drones and the technical support required to operate them.
Tuure Lehtoranta, Insta's Senior Vice President for Sales, Marketing and Government Relations, said the company's development work has incorporated international lessons from the changing security environment and the use of drones on modern battlefields.
Insta has been a strategic partner of the Finnish Defence Forces for several decades. Its defence portfolio includes command-and-control systems, secure communications, cybersecurity, autonomous systems and unmanned technologies.
The company has also developed unmanned systems through cooperation with Ukrainian industry. Insta states that its Steel Eagle drone solution was developed in cooperation with Ukrainian industry in 2024, while the newer Steel Eagle ER incorporates requirements related to electronic warfare.
The new FPV procurement adds another element to Finland's development of domestically produced unmanned systems and expands structured drone training across the Finnish Army.
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