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Finnish-led software programme to receive EUR 45 million from European Defence Fund

Finnish Ministry of Defence

16.05.2025 10:30

The results of the 2024 European Defence Fund (EDF) call for proposals have been published. Finnish industry and research are once again well represented in the EDF projects. The EDF supports defence research and development projects across the EU with around one billion euros annually.
The Finnish Defence Forces will participate in three development projects, all with Finnish industry representation, of the 2024 EDF Work Programme. The most important of these is the AIMA/AI-WASP programme led by Finland and Patria.

The Finnish Defence Forces has a need to research and develop new solutions for strengthening and integrating the capabilities of ad hoc networking, positioning, identification and electronic protection and countermeasures in Finland and in NATO's High North. Our forces need relevant situational awareness in all operating environments.

For this reason, research and development is underway to create a new generation, modular and scalable multifunctional software that would integrate electronic warfare capabilities into command and control. The estimated total cost of the project is about EUR 52 million, and the European Defence Fund (EDF) contribution is about EUR 45 million under the 2024 EDF calls. The funding was granted to a Patria-led multinational consortium for the project Artificial Intelligence Warfare Adaptive Swarm Platform (AI-WASP).

The project will develop an AI-based multifunctional software aperture and transceiver (AIMA) which can be used in the Arctic and elsewhere. The project will develop software for use in manned and unmanned autonomous platforms of various sizes across all operating environments. The project is led by Finland, and its other members are Spain, Italy, Estonia, Sweden and Greece. All participating countries have signed a letter of intent to develop AIMA. They will also fund the project alongside the EDF funding.

"We have again managed to obtain EU funding for Finnish defence materiel projects. Many of the selected projects have Finnish companies and research institutes as members. Project cooperation gives the Finnish Defence Forces an opportunity to research and develop military capabilities of the future. It also strengthens our interoperability with other EU Member States' armed forces," said Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen.

"The EDF adds value to Finland's important efforts to improve the operating conditions of our defence industry. Through EDF projects, Finnish industry and research gain access to European supply chains and to the development of future capabilities early in the development cycle."

Finnish companies and research institutes will be contributing to 18 projects selected for funding under the 2024 EDF calls. Some 40 Finnish companies and research institutes have contributed to EDF projects since 2021.

The Ministry of Defence would like to remind that the 2025 EDF call for proposals is open until 16 October 2025. Read more about the call for proposals and about how to request support from the defence administration at the website of the Ministry of Defence (in Finnish).