Finnish ItO 90M short-range air defence systems are being used by Ukraine against Russian aerial threats, according to French newspaper L’Indépendant.
The newspaper describes the appearance of the Finnish system on the battlefield as a rare development. The ItO 90M combines a French Crotale NG turret with the Finnish-made Sisu XA-181 armoured vehicle, giving the system greater mobility than the towed Crotale systems previously supplied to Ukraine by France.
The system carries eight ready-to-fire VT-1 surface-to-air missiles. According to L’Indépendant, the interceptor can reach a speed of around 1,250 metres per second, or Mach 3.6.
It can be used against aircraft and helicopters as well as cruise missiles and fast drones, including newer Russian jet-powered unmanned aircraft.
The system also has a thermal camera that allows targets to be detected and engaged without relying solely on radar emissions.
Finnish system spotted in Ukrainian military footage
The ItO 90M was reportedly identified in footage released by Ukraine’s 1039th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment.
Ukrainian defence publication Defense Express reported on October 23 that the footage was the first known public evidence of the Finnish system being used in Ukraine.
Finland has not publicly announced the delivery of ItO 90M systems. Helsinki generally does not disclose detailed information about the contents, delivery methods or schedules of its military aid packages to Ukraine for operational and security reasons.
The number of systems that may have been transferred therefore remains unknown.
Finland acquired one prototype and 20 production versions of the ItO 90M in the 1990s, meaning the original fleet consisted of 21 systems.
Defense Express has speculated that Finland could have transferred a significant share of its remaining fleet rather than retaining only a small number of systems requiring their own maintenance, training and logistics. There is, however, no official confirmation of how many systems, if any, were included in Finnish military aid.
The Finnish Defence Forces have used the ItO 90M as a mobile short-range air defence system for protecting important troops, military sites and other key targets.
Its wheeled Sisu chassis gives it an advantage in mobility over the French Crotale NG systems mounted on trailers.
For Ukraine, that mobility can be particularly useful as air defence units have to respond to a broad and rapidly changing threat ranging from conventional aircraft and cruise missiles to increasingly fast drones.