Finland’s defence planning for 2025 will include participation 115 international training events and exercises following decisions laid out by Finnish Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen on 15 May 2024, with the expected cost of participation estimated at €10.75m ($11.7m).
This is the first time since joining Nato that Finland has laid out its international training and exercise plan, which has been impacted by significant changes in the security environment, as well as a deepening defence cooperation with Norway, Sweden, the UK and the US, according to a release from the Finnish Ministry of Defence.
“Our Nato Allies train in Finland with the Defence Forces more often and on a longer-term basis,” said Minister Häkkänen, reflecting on the effect of Nato membership on Finish Defence Forces’ plans.
The Finish Defence Forces website states that the Defence Forces participate in 60-70 international exercises and training events a year, close to half the number of events Häkkänen has planned for 2025.
Personnel participating in international exercise are preparing for military crisis operations, with all Finnish services making an active role in the training events. Military crisis management is one of the Finish Defence forces’s statutory tasks, either for humanitarian goals or to protect a civilian population through operations intended to secure or restore international peace and security. Finland has participated in over 30 such operations since 1956.
Within Europe Finland has participated in the Nato Kosovo Force (KFOR) mission and the European Union Naval Force Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR MED).
Finland has extended into a number of mission in the Middle East including: the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL); Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) in Iraq; Nato Mission Iraq (NMI); and the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization across the Middle East (UNTSO).
And in Africa Finland participated in the European Union Training Missions in Mali and Somalia (EUTM Mali and EUTM Somalia respectively),and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).
