Finnish Defence Forces
Finnish Defence Forces | ||
---|---|---|
Puolustusvoimat (Finnish) Försvarsmakten (Swedish) | ||
Founded | 25 January 1918 | |
Service branches | ||
Website | Official website | |
Minister of Defence | Antti Häkkänen | |
Chief of Defence | General Janne Jaakkola | |
Personnel | ||
Military age | 18 | |
Conscription | 165, 255, or 347 days term | |
Available for military service | 1,155,368 males, age 16–49 (2010 est.), 1,106,193 females, age 16–49 (2010 est.) | |
Fit for military service | 955,151 males, age 16–49 (2010 est.), 912,983 females, age 16–49 (2010 est.) | |
Reaching military age annually | 32,599 males (2010 est.), 31,416 females (2010 est.) | |
Active personnel | 24,000 (2023), 280,000 (wartime)[1] | |
Reserve personnel | 870,000[2] | |
Deployed personnel | 486[3] | |
Expenditure | ||
Budget | €6.2 billion (2024) | |
Percent of GDP | 2.3% (2024)[4] | |
Industry | ||
Domestic suppliers | ||
Foreign suppliers | ||
Annual exports | €133 million (2016)[6] | |
Related articles | ||
Ranks | Finnish military ranks |
The Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) (Finnish: Puolustusvoimat, Swedish: Försvarsmakten) are the military of Finland. The Finnish Defence Forces consist of the Finnish Army, the Finnish Navy, and the Finnish Air Force. In wartime, the Finnish Border Guard becomes part of the Finnish Defence Forces.
Universal male conscription is in place, under which all mentally and physically capable men serve for 165, 255, or 347 days, from the year they turn 18 until the year they turn 29. Alternative non-military service for men and voluntary service for women is available.
Finland's official policy states that a wartime military strength of 280,000[1] personnel constitutes a sufficient deterrent. The army consists of a highly mobile field army backed up by local defence units. The army defends the national territory and its military strategy employs the use of the heavily forested terrain and numerous lakes to wear down an aggressor, instead of attempting to hold the attacking army on the frontier.
Finland's defence budget for 2022 equals approximately
The Finnish Defence Forces cooperate closely with the Finnish Border Guard.[9][10] The Finnish Border Guard has its own yearly and long term investment budget.
History
Civil War
After Finland's declaration of independence on 6 December 1917, the Civic Guards were proclaimed the troops of the government on 25 January 1918 and then Lieutenant General of the Russian Imperial Army Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim was appointed as Commander-in-Chief of these forces the next day.[11] Fighting between the White Guards (as the Civic Guards were commonly known) and the Red Guards had already broken out about a week before around Viipuri, in what became known as the Finnish Civil War.
In the war, the Whites were victorious in large part thanks to the leadership of General Mannerheim and the lead by example offensive mindedness of 1,800 German-trained
Interwar years
After winning the Civil War, the Finnish peacetime army was organized as three divisions and a brigade by professional German officers. It became the basic structure for the next 20 years. The coast was guarded by former czarist coastal fortifications and ships taken as prizes of war. The Air Force had already been formed in March 1918, but remained a part of the Army and did not become a fully independent fighting force until 1928. The White Guard (Suojeluskunta) played a key role in interwar Finnish defence policy, as they essentially served as local/territorial militia forces, and some had higher readiness and training for quick mobilization.[11]
The new government instituted conscription after the Civil War and also introduced a mobilization system and compulsory refresher courses for reservists. An academy providing basic officer training (Kadettikoulu) was established in 1919, the founding of a General Staff College (Sotakorkeakoulu) followed in 1924, and in 1927 a tactical training school (Taistelukoulu) for company-grade and junior officers and NCOs was set up. The requirement of one year of compulsory service was greater than that imposed by any other Scandinavian country in the 1920s and the 1930s, but political opposition to defense spending left the military badly equipped to resist an attack by the Soviet Union, the only security threat in Finnish eyes.
World War II
When the Soviets
Finland fought in the
These conflicts involving Finland had a significant impact on the modern Finnish defense force. While other European militaries have reduced their forces, Finland has maintained a large conscript-based reserve army. As a Swedish report stated: "The reason why the FDF chose to maintain this model while its Nordic neighbors jumped on the expeditionary bandwagon is not hard to see. Sharing a 1340km border with Russia, the need for large ground forces is self-explanatory. Furthermore, memories of World War II – in which over 2 percent of the population perished in two brutal wars with the Soviet Union – are very much alive in Finland".[13] This same aspect has been highlighted even more strongly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Finland's decision to join NATO. With quotes like; "After World War II, having thwarted the advance of the mighty Red Army in the Winter War of 1939-40 and then seeking to recapture the territory the Soviets eventually claimed, Finland had to settle for neutrality imposed by Moscow. But to almost everyone's surprise, it succeeded in this degrading task, too, building up armed forces that were highly capable and were energetically supported by civil society—while at the same time managing to maintain dialogue with Moscow.",[14] "Finland still has compulsory military service. Finland would be in a position to mobilize an army of 280,000 soldiers. That's quite a big army in modern Europe,",[15] with similar views being expressed elsewhere as well, often referring to the fact that Finland has kept its conscript-based armed force or other readiness-related units, contrasting with other European countries that now have to re-arm, such as Germany[16] as an example. During the events of 2022 all this has received attention internationally as well.[17][18][19][20]
Cold War
The demobilization and regrouping of the Finnish Defence Forces were carried out in late 1944 under the supervision of the Soviet-dominated Allied Control Commission. Following the Treaty of Paris in 1947, which imposed restrictions on the size and equipment of the armed forces and required disbandment of the Civic Guard, Finland reorganized its defense forces. The fact that the conditions of the peace treaty did not include prohibitions on reserves or mobilization made it possible to contemplate an adequate defense establishment within the prescribed limits. The reorganization resulted in the adoption of the brigade -in place of the division- as the standard formation.[21]
For the first two decades after the Second World War, the Finnish Defence Forces relied largely on obsolete wartime material. Defence spending remained minimal until the early 1960s. During the peak of the
Recent history
The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 did not eliminate the military threat perceived by the government, but the nature of the threat had changed. While the concept of total, territorial defence was not dropped, military planning has moved towards the capability to prevent and frustrate a strategic attack toward the vital regions of the country.
The end of the Cold War also allowed new opportunities which would have previously been seen as breaking Finland's stance of neutrality, such as participation in the War in Afghanistan and the Nordic Battlegroup.
With the change in the European security environment brought by the
On 11 May 2022, British Prime Minister
On 12 May 2022, President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Sanna Marin issued a joint statement supporting Finland's application for membership of NATO, saying "As a member of NATO, Finland would strengthen the entire defence alliance. Finland must apply for NATO membership without delay."[26] On 17 May 2022, the Parliament of Finland voted overwhelmingly to apply for membership of NATO, with 188 votes in favour of the motion and 8 against.[27] The following morning, the Finnish ambassador to NATO, Klaus Korhonen, formally submitted Finland's application to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.[28] Sweden also submitted its application at the same time.
On 29 June 2022, 30 NATO countries extended a formal invitation for Finland along with Sweden to join NATO. Both nations received the status of aspiring members while attending the annual NATO summit in Madrid as guest nations.[29] Finland became a full NATO member on 4 April 2023.
Future
The Defence Forces are currently undergoing key procurement programmes for all the three branches. The Navy is scheduled to get its largest vessels since the WW2-era
Organization
The Finnish Defence Forces are under the command of the Chief of Defence, who is directly subordinate to the President of the Republic in matters related to the military command. Decisions concerning military orders are made by the President of the Republic in consultation with the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defence.
Apart from the Defence Command (Finnish: Pääesikunta, Swedish: Huvudstaben), the military branches are the Finnish Army (Finnish: Maavoimat, Swedish: Armén), the Finnish Navy (Finnish: Merivoimat, Swedish: Marinen) and the Finnish Air Force (Finnish: Ilmavoimat, Swedish: Flygvapnet). The Border Guard (Finnish: Rajavartiolaitos, Swedish: Gränsbevakningsväsendet) (including the coast guard) is under the authority of the Ministry of the Interior, but can be incorporated fully or in part into the defence forces when required by defence readiness. All logistical duties of the Defence Forces are carried out by the Defence Forces Logistics Command (Finnish: Puolustusvoimien logistiikkalaitos), which includes three logistics regiments.[36]
The Army is divided into eight brigade-level units (Finnish: joukko-osasto). Under the brigades, there were 12 military districts, which were responsible for carrying out the draft, training and crisis-time activation of reservists and for planning and executing territorial defence of their areas. The military districts were disbanded in 2014, as a part of the 800 million euro savings the Finnish Defence Forces had to carry out.[37][38] Their duties are now carried out by regional offices (Finnish: aluetoimisto).
The Navy consists of headquarters and four brigade-level units: Coastal Fleet (Finnish: Rannikkolaivasto), Coastal Brigade (Finnish: Rannikkoprikaati), Nyland Brigade (Finnish: Uudenmaan Prikaati, Swedish: Nylands Brigad), and Naval Academy (Finnish: Merisotakoulu). The Coastal Fleet includes all the surface combatants of the Navy, while Coastal Brigade and Nyland Brigade train coastal troops.[39]
The Air Force consists of headquarters and four brigade-level units:
The military training of the reservists is primarily the duty of the Defence Forces, but it is assisted by the National Defence Training Association of Finland (Finnish: Maanpuolustuskoulutusyhdistys). This association provides reservists with personal, squad, platoon and company level military training.[41]: §17 Most of the 2,000 instructors of the association are volunteers certified by the Defence Forces, but when Defence Forces materiel is used, the training always takes place under the supervision of career military personnel.[41]: §20 Annually, the Defence Forces requests the Association to run specialized exercises for some 8,500 personnel placed in reserve units, and an additional 16,500 reservists participate in military courses where the participants are not directly selected by the Defence Forces.[42] The legislation concerning the association will require that the chairman and the majority of the members of its board are chosen by the Finnish Government. The other board members are chosen by NGOs active in the national defence.[41]: §9 [43]
General Officers
The Finnish Defence Forces
Chief of Defence General Janne Jaakkola
Defence Command
Chief of Defence Command Finland Lieutenant General Vesa Virtanen
Deputy Chief of Staff, Logistics and Armaments Lieutenant General Mikko Heiskanen
Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategy Major General Sami Nurmi
Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations Major General Kari Nisula
Deputy Chief of Staff, Personnel Major General Rami Saari
Chief of Planning Brigadier General Tero Ylitalo
Assistant Chief of Staff Operations Commodore Janne Huusko
Defence Command Chief of C5 Brigadier General Jarmo Vähätiitto
Chief of Personnel (J1) Commodore Tuomas Tiilikainen
Chief of Logistics Brigadier General Timo Saarinen
Assistant Chief of Staff, Training (J7) Brigadier General Manu Tuominen
Defence Command Chief of Intelligence Brigadier General Pekka Turunen
Chief Surgeon Commodore Medical Juha-Petri Ruohola
Field Bishop Jukka Pekka Asikainen
Army
Commander of the Finnish Army Lieutenant General Pasi Välimäki
Chief of Staff, Army Major General Jukka Jokinen
Chief of Operations, Army Command Brigadier General Sami-Antti Takamaa
Commander of Karelia Brigade Brigadier General Jyri Raitasalo
Commander of Kainuu Brigade Brigadier General Ari Laaksonen
Commander of Pori Brigade Brigadier General Vesa Valtonen
Commander of the Finnish Navy Rear Admiral Jori Harju
Chief of Staff, Navy Commodore Jukka Anteroinen
Air Force
Commander of the Finnish Air Force Major General Juha-Pekka Keränen
Chief of Staff, Air Force Brigadier General Timo Herranen
National Defence University
Rector of The National Defence University Major General Mika Kalliomaa
Special Assignments
Military Representative to The EU and NATO Lieutenant General Kim Jäämeri
Defence Forces Logistics Command
Chief of Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command Major General Jari Mikkonen
Deputy Manager, Logistic Command Brigadier General Engineering Juha-Matti Ylitalo[44]
Conscription
The Finnish defence forces is based on universal male conscription. All men above 18 years of age are liable to serve either six, nine, or 12 months. Some 27,000 conscripts are trained annually. 65%[45] of Finnish men complete their service. The conscripts at first receive basic training, after which they are assigned to various units for special training. Privates who are trained for tasks not requiring special skills serve for six months. In technically demanding tasks the time of service is nine, or in some cases 12 months. Those selected for NCO (non-commissioned officer) or officer training serve 12 months. At the completion of the service, the conscripts receive a reserve military rank of private, lance corporal, corporal, sergeant or second lieutenant, depending on their training and accomplishments.[46] After their military service, the conscripts are placed in reserve until the end of their 50th or 60th living year, depending on their military rank. During their time in reserve, the reservists are liable to participate in military refresher exercises for a total of 40, 75 or 100 days, depending on their military rank. In addition, all reservists are liable for activation in a situation where the military threat against Finland has seriously increased, in full or partial mobilization or in a large-scale disaster or a virulent epidemic. The males who do not belong to the reserve may only be activated in case of full mobilization, and those rank-and-file personnel who have fulfilled 50 years of age only with a specific parliamentary decision.[47]
Military service can be started after turning 18. The service can be delayed due to studies, work or other personal reasons until the 28th birthday, but these reasons do not result in exemptions. In addition to lodging, food, clothes and health care the conscripts receive between 5 and 11.70 euros per day, depending on the time they have served. The state also pays for any rental and electricity bills the conscripts incur during their service. If the conscripts have families, they are entitled to benefits as well. It is illegal to fire an employee due to military service or due to a refresher exercise or activation. Voluntary females in military service receive a small additional benefit, because they are expected to provide their own underwear and other personal items.
The military service consists of lessons, practical training, various cleaning and maintenance duties and field exercises. Most weekends conscripts can leave the barracks on Friday and are expected to return by midnight on Sunday. A small force of conscripts are kept in readiness on weekends to aid civil agencies in various types of emergency situations, to guard the premises and to maintain defence in case of a sudden military emergency. Field exercises can go on regardless of the time of day or week.
The training of conscripts is based on joukkotuotanto-principle (lit. English troop production). In this system, 80% of the conscripts are trained to fulfill a specific role in a specific wartime military unit. Each brigade-level unit is responsible for producing specified reserve units from the conscripts it has been allocated. As the reservists are discharged, they receive a specific wartime placement in the unit with which they have trained during their conscription. As the conscripts age, their unit is given new, different tasks and materiel. Typically, reservists are placed for the first five years in first-line units, then moved to military formations with less demanding tasks, while the reservists unable to serve in the unit are substituted with reservists from the reserve without specific placement. In refresher exercises, the unit is then given new training for these duties, if the defence funding permits this.[48]
The inhabitants of the demilitarized
Military ranks
The Finnish military ranks follow the Western usage in the officer ranks. As a Finnish peculiarity, the rank of lieutenant has three grades: 2nd lieutenant, lieutenant and senior lieutenant.[49] The 2nd lieutenant is a reserve officer rank, active commissioned officers beginning their service as lieutenants.
The basic structure of the NCO ranks is a variant of the German rank structure, but the rank system has some peculiarities due to different personnel groups. The duties carried out by NCOs in most Western armed forces are carried out by
- warrant officers (opistoupseeri) serving in the ranks from lieutenant to captain. This personnel group is being phased out.
- career NCOs serving in the ranks from enlistee (sotilasammattihenkilö), sergeant, staff sergeant, sergeant first class (gunnery sergeant is equivalent), master sergeant and sergeant major (sotilasmestari). Career NCO's with rank of sergeant have a sword symbol in their insignia to distinguish them from conscript sergeants.
- contractual military personnel (sopimussotilas) serving in the ranks of corporal, sergeant and 2nd lieutenant (reserve officers)
- conscripts in the ranks of corporal, officer student, sergeant and officer candidate.
In a case of war, most of the NCO duties would be carried out by reserve NCOs who have received their training during conscription.
The rank and file of the Finnish Defence Forces is composed of conscripts serving in the ranks of private, lance corporal and NCO student.