Gabriel anti-ship missile enters operational service with Finnish Navy

The Finnish Navy has confirmed that it has begun fielding examples of the Gabriel 5 high-subsonic, anti-ship missile manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries.

The Gabriel 5 was selected in 2018 to replace the Saab RBS 15 missiles that were introduced in 1984. Initial test-firings were conducted late last month from a Finnish Navy Hamina-class fast attack craft (FAC).

The Hamina-class boats were developed from the outset with the RBS 15 as their primary anti-ship missile. The vessels later underwent mid-life upgrades that resulted in enhanced anti-submarine capability in littoral waters as well as the ability to launch Gabriel 5 missiles.

One key feature of the Gabriel 5 is its active multi-spectral seeker, which permits all-weather use. The newer missile also boasts secondary land attack capability, thus allowing the Hamina-class FACs to also be employed for long-range precision strike.

The Israeli Navy and the Finnish Navy are currently the only operators of the Gabriel 5. In Finnish use, the missile carries the official designation PTO2020.