By Leila Nezirevic
LONDON (AA) – The Finnish government has offered to establish a base on its territory for NATO's big Recon reconnaissance drones, local media reported on Friday.
The drones presently operate out of Italy, but in August they also flew over Finnish airspace to gather intelligence along the country's eastern border.
Finnish Air Force has four alternative bases, of which Pirkkala is the most likely location, according to national broadcaster Yle.
NATO's plans for the new base are still in the early stages and a decision on the location of the drone base is expected to be made next year.
However, the military alliance did confirm it needs a location for surveillance drones in Northern Europe, according to Yle.
Finland strengthened its defensive capabilities after joining NATO on April 4, 2023, which changed the balance of power in Northern Europe and resulted in rising tensions with Russia.
Finland’s NATO membership drew military threats from Kremlin, with Russian President Vladimir Putin accusing the west of “dragging” Finland into the military alliance and creating rift between Moscow and Helsinki.
In December, Finland closed its boarders with Russia, with authorities in Helsinki accusing Moscow of carrying out a suspected "hybrid attack" and purposefully assisting undocumented migrants in crossing into the Nordic country, a claim Russia denied.
In March, Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace (KONGSBERG), a Finnish firm, and Patria, an international defense and technology company, inked a deal for the delivery of PROTECTOR remote weapon stations on over 300 Patria vehicles to Sweden and Finland.
Deliveries will begin in 2025 and continue throughout the 2030s, according to latest media reports.