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26 Nov 25. Finland seeks to secure Arctic footprint in new defense strategy. Finland has released a new Arctic security strategy that seeks to define the country’s growing role in a region facing overlapping claims by friends and foes alike. The document, published Nov. 25 as an update to a previous version from 2021 when Finland was still outside of NATO, dances around managing relationships with the United States under President Donald Trump as a fellow Arctic nation, in particular.
“The U.S. is increasingly viewing the Arctic through the lens of global competition, shaped by the ‘America First’ policy— it prioritizes national security, economic cooperation, and critical minerals and has shifted away from climate change mitigation and sustainable development,” the document reads.
It mentions that statements made by U.S. officials, who have argued that Washington should exercise greater control over Greenland, have raised questions for Finland. Nearly one-third of Finland’s land mass lies above the Arctic Circle, in the region of Lapland. There are eight countries with territory within or north of the Arctic Circle that are members of the Arctic Council: Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States. This week, the Danish news outlet Politiken reported that the Trump administration has on several occasions tried to set up high-level meetings with Greenlandic authorities without Denmark present. Meanwhile, Finland, Canada and the United States are involved in the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort, or ICE Pact, dedicated to the joint development of icebreakers. Since signing a memorandum of understanding in 2024, the three countries have announced a series of new contracts under this partnership: the U.S. launched its fleet renewal initiative last month, with a total plan of up to 11 icebreakers that will involve both Canadian and Finnish shipyards and companies. On Nov. 18, the ICE Pact partners signed a joint statement of intent in Washington intended to strengthen trilateral cooperation on Arctic icebreaker construction and capabilities into 2026. Finland’s latest Arctic security policy also highlights the growing role that the new NATO Forward Land Force unit, inaugurated in October in Northern Finland, will play in the alliance’s deterrence in the High North. In a state of emergency, the FLF will oversee the planning, command and control of land operations and defense across the wider Arctic region. A significant portion of the strategy document is devoted to the activities of the Arctic Council, which remains the sole intergovernmental cooperation framework for all Arctic states. Although the forum is not in charge of security policy issues, the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 deeply changed the nature of its collaboration.
“Russia remains a member, but no political level meetings or meetings of senior Arctic officials are held among Arctic States – expert and research cooperation continues within working groups,” the policy document said. The Finnish government stated that Arctic cooperation should continue within the framework of the Arctic governance body.
Several non-Arctic countries have applied or are considering applying for observer status in the Arctic Council, which would allow them to attend meetings, access documents, and contribute to working groups. (Source: Defense News)
26 Nov 25. Subsea pipelines, power cables, offshore platforms, and sensor arrays have become critical to modern society — and increasingly vulnerable. The Joint Declaration of Baltic Sea Security, signed on 20 November, provides a platform for regional collaboration and protection. KONGSBERG welcomes this initiative. The 2022 sabotage of gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea marked a turning point: maritime infrastructure is no longer seen as a passive utility, but as a strategic asset at risk of disruption. The Joint Baltic Declaration on Security in the Baltic Sea was signed on November 20 by the Norwegian State Secretary Marte Gerhardsen, in the presence of the Polish Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.
Positive and hopeful for action
Arne Rinnan, Kongsberg Discovery’s Executive Vice President for Strategy and Technology, welcomes the declaration and hopes for further action.
“This is a positive and the right move for securing the maritime domain in the Baltic Sea. We have experienced great interest in the Oslofjord Test Bed that was opened in June this year. Here we are coordinating expertise across KONGSBERG to develop a unified solution,” he says.
He explains that the Oslofjord Test Bed integrates subsea autonomy, land-based and satellite sensors surveillance, traffic monitoring, real-time advanced analytics and decision support into one scalable system — redefining how nations and industries protect their underwater infrastructure.
“I see this declaration as a goal to pursue additional measures. We’ve had significant attention and visits from government officials both abroad and at home who are interested in our technology. However, the central issue remains: in the event of an incident, who truly holds responsibility?” Rinnan says.
KONGSBERG to become industrial partner
According to an official statement by the Norwegian State Secretary, Marte Gerhardsen, the declaration marks an important step towards closer cooperation and strengthened preparedness in the region. In addition, on the same day, Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace became part of The Green Industrial District – Kashubia Project in Poland, agreeing with local authorities to establish operations related to the project.
“This is a good example of how Norway and our partners are committed to strengthening Europe’s security through both diplomacy and industry”, Gerhardsen said.
Declaration for securing cooperation and security
The declaration, which has now been signed by Norway, aims to:
- Strengthen military cooperation between the countries in the region to improve defense preparedness
- Improve interoperability and conduct joint exercises and mobilisation capacity
- Ensure common democratic values, rule of law and human rights in the face of security threats
- Increase stability and security in the Baltic Sea region, especially in view of geopolitical tensions and threats from Russia
- Promote regional cooperation and contribute to stronger European security
Critical maritime infrastructure covers a wide and complex landscape. Below the surface, this includes subsea oil/gas wellheads and risers, gas pipelines, fibre-optic communications cables, high-voltage power lines and renewables installations. Above the surface, it extends to floating production units, platforms, ports and other coastal facilities. Each element serves a vital function in energy security, economic continuity and national resilience – and each requires tailored, domain-specific monitoring.
About Kongsberg Discovery
Kongsberg Discovery develops advanced technology to explore the ocean, manufacturing acoustic instruments for seabed mapping at various depths. The company is part of Kongsberg Gruppen ASA, a Norwegian multinational corporation that supplies high-technology systems to customers in the merchant marine, defense, aerospace, offshore oil and gas industries, and renewable and utilities industries.
21 Nov 25. Campaign groups sue Leonardo, Italy government over arms sales to Israel. A group of seven Italian civil society groups has filed a lawsuit against state-controlled defence group Leonardo (LDOF.MI) and Italy’s government, seeking to annul any contract for the sale and supply of arms to Israel. The complaint – lodged at the end of September with a Rome-based court – argues that Leonardo, one of the world’s largest arms producers, continued to supply the Israel Defence Forces, going against both Italy’s Constitution and international law, the NGOs said late on Thursday.
“Israel carries out in the West Bank and Gaza a military occupation and systematic apartheid that are fed with weapons supplied by foreign partners,” their statement said.
Leonardo dismissed the lawsuit saying it complied with all laws on arms exports, and vowed to defend its position in court. Any suggestion its actions were linked to Gaza was “a serious distortion without legal basis,” it added in a statement. The government was not immediately available for comment. The lawsuit was presented by a Palestinian citizen and the Italian groups, including A Buon Diritto, which provides free legal assistance and support for migrants and refugees, Italian Christian workers association ACLI and NGO Un Ponte Per. Under Italian law, arms exports are banned to countries that are waging war and those deemed to be violating international human rights. In 2023, Rome announced a halt to its weapons exports to Israel amid escalating violence in Gaza. Defence Minister Guido Crosetto later said previously approved orders were still being fulfilled after checks were carried out to ensure the weapons would not be used against civilians in the Palestinian enclave. At the end of September, Leonardo Chief Executive Roberto Cingolani said no new export licenses to Israel had been issued since the war began and ties were limited to two longstanding maintenance contracts for unarmed training aircraft. He acknowledged concerns over the company U.S. DRS, majority-owned by Leonardo, and its Israeli radar unit, but said these operate under foreign jurisdictions. The lawsuit comes as the EU tightens arms export rules, requiring member states to block sales where there is a risk of human rights abuses or violations of international law. (Source: Reuters)
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Founded in 1987, Exensor Technology is a world leading supplier of Networked Unattended Ground Sensor (UGS) Systems providing tailored sensor solutions to customers all over the world. From our Headquarters in Lund Sweden, our centre of expertise in Network Communications at Communications Research Lab in Kalmar Sweden and our Production site outside of Basingstoke UK, we design, develop and produce latest state of the art rugged UGS solutions at the highest quality to meet the most stringent demands of our customers. Our systems are in operation and used in a wide number of Military as well as Homeland Security applications worldwide. The modular nature of the system ensures any external sensor can be integrated, providing the user with a fully meshed “silent” network capable of self-healing. Exensor Technology will continue to lead the field in UGS technology, provide our customers with excellent customer service and a bespoke package able to meet every need.
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