The Finnish Defence Forces and VR/XR company Varjo are collaborating to test and develop virtual solutions for counter-UAS training.
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Press Release, Helsinki, 29 October 2026: The Finnish Defence Forces Innovation Unit and VR/XR company Varjo are collaborating to test and develop virtual solutions for counter-UAS training.
The partnership between the Defence Forces and Varjo reflects the growing need to prepare for drone threats. The war in Ukraine has shown that First Person View (FPV) micro-drone systems and loitering munitions constitute a constant threat. Soldiers on the battlefield must understand the effects of drones and know how to operate under threat. Training solutions must be realistic, repeatable and readily available.
The Defence Forces and Varjo are piloting and developing virtual training solutions which aim at improving soldiers’ counter-UAS readiness. Varjo is cooperating with a Defence Forces brigade-level unit. The project deploys the Varjo XR-4 Series mixed reality headset, which provides visual clarity sufficient for training to counter even a five-inch FPV drone from realistic distances. Preparations for this partnership started in February 2026.
“The drone threat is one of the critical challenges of the modern battlefield, and training must keep up with the changes”, says Timo Toikkanen, CEO of Varjo. “Partnership with the Defence Forces makes it possible to improve training and make it match operational needs. We are proud to see Finnish technology at the forefront of this work.”
The battlefield is changing rapidly, and new technologies are becoming ever more important. The Defence Forces’ coordinated innovation activity is doing its share in responding to the changes, seeking, testing and working on new solutions together with its partners.
“We at our end are also proud of our partnership with Varjo. Virtual technology offers a possibility to train and prepare for drone threats in a realistic and repeated manner without consuming real resources. This partnership brings together a real operational need and Finnish technology. This pilot gives us valuable insights into how virtual training can be put into even better use in the Finnish military training”, said Major Ville Kuparinen, Head of the FDF Innovation Unit.
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