On Friday, August 22, 2025, the press service of the Finnish Navy (Merivoimat) announced that earlier this summer it had tested the Israeli Gabriel V Advanced Naval Attack Missile for the first time. The missile has been introduced into service under the designation SM2020 (Surface-to-Surface Missile System 2020 or 2020-järjestelmä), derived from the procurement program.
Photo and graphic: Finnish Navy
“The surface-to-surface missile system that has been introduced is one of the Navy’s two main weapon systems, the other being naval mines. The missile system’s highly advanced features and long range contribute to ensuring the effective execution of maritime defense tasks, both nationally and as part of an alliance. It can also be employed in joint strike missions of the Defence Forces, which I consider important,” describes the Commander of the Navy, Rear Admiral Tuomas Tiilikainen. “By installing the missile system on multiple different platforms, we achieve combat resilience as well as wide-area strike capability against land and sea targets in the demanding conditions of the modern and future battlefield.”
Finland became the first export user of this system, following the original operator, Israel, which ordered it on July 5, 2018, for 162 million EUR, with an option to increase the value to 193 million EUR under the mentioned program.
The missile is reported to have a range of over 200 km. It is 5.5 meters long and weighs 1,250 kg. Powered by a jet engine, it flies at subsonic speed, guided by satellite navigation and inertial navigation based on waypoints, and in the terminal phase by a new seeker head. The missiles are to be equipped with penetrating warheads.
According to some reports, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) began work on the fifth generation of the Gabriel anti-ship missile family in 2009. The most significant advantage of the new missiles is said to be their advanced active seeker, operating across multiple radar spectrum bands, designed to more effectively distinguish targets from other objects in coastal zones with heavy maritime traffic. The seeker can operate in all weather conditions, day and night, and under intense electronic jamming.
The Hamina-class missile boats are 50.8 meters long, with a standard displacement of 235 tons and a full displacement of 270 tons. They are powered by two MTU diesel engines with a total output of 7,510 hp and two waterjet propulsors.
Ultimately, the Gabriel V missiles will replace the armament of the four modernized Hamina-class missile boats, taking the place of the MTO85M (Meritorjuntaohjus 1985) and the modernized Saab RBS-15SF Mk. II missiles, which are to be retired by the end of the decade. They will also be installed on four new-generation Pohjanmaa-class missile corvettes under the Laivue 2020 program. Deliveries to the Merivoimat were scheduled for completion in 2025.
The summer qualification tests were carried out from one of the aforementioned Hamina-class missile boats, although it was not specified which one: FNS Hamina (80), Tornio (81), Hanko (82), or Pori (83). These vessels underwent Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) modernization between 2018 and 2022. The first ship (Tornio) was handed over in January 2020, and the last (Pori) was delivered in September 2022.
In addition to integrating the Israeli weapon system, the works included, among other things, the installation of an anti-submarine warfare system based on Saab NLT torpedoes, the ST2400 VDS (Variable Depth Sonar), an upgraded radar, and a new TactiCall communication system. The ships’ 9LV combat management system was modernized (replacing CEROS 200), and additional Umkhonto-family surface-to-air missiles were integrated. At the bow, the 57 mm Bofors 600E Mark 3 L/70 naval gun was replaced with a 40 mm Bofors 40 Mk4, while the two 12.7 mm Ittk machine guns (licensed Soviet NSV) remained unchanged.
#Merivoimat on kuluneen kesän aikana toteuttanut Pintatorjuntaohjus 2020-järjestelmän käyttöönottoon ja kehittämiseen liittyviä harjoituksia. Työn lopputuloksena uusi ohjusjärjestelmä on Merivoimien operatiivisessa käytössä. Lue lisää: https://t.co/wMu5IOha3j #Puolustusvoimat
— Merivoimat – Finska Marinen – The Finnish Navy (@Navyfi) August 22, 2025
