Finland adopted a position of military neutrality after World War II, but its proximity to Russia, with which it shares a long border, has always motivated Finns to focus on their territorial defense and keep armed forces on standby.
Finland and Sweden took the position of nonaligned countries in World War II: without joining NATO, despite military defense forces of both nations against Russia, they maintained neutrality, which they are now challenging with their applications to join the Atlantic Alliance.
But while Sweden has decided since the 1990s to downsize its armed forces and change priorities in terms of territorial defense and focus on international peacekeeping missions, Finland has never stopped keeping an eye on defending its borders, especially when it 1,300 kilometers of borders are shared with Russia and the country was part of the Russian Empire until 1917. Finland is even the fifth country with the longest border with Russia, surpassed only by Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia and Ukraine.
Finnish neutrality originated as a peace condition imposed by the Soviet Union after the signing of a “Friendship Agreement” in 1948 that would allow Finland to retain its independence. “Sweden’s neutrality was a matter of identity and ideology, while in Finland it was a matter of existence”Finnish historian Henrik Meinander told the BBC.
And that is why the Finns have never neglected their defense and have complied with their conscription with the aim of “keeping the armed forces ready,” says the official Defense website, which informs that about 21,000 military training recruits are conducted annually and that the number of female volunteers has increased in recent years.
Conscription could last almost a year
Recruits receiving reserve officer training serve 347 days, with the option of serving 255 or 165 days of military service, depending on the duties performed and the type of training received.
Recently, the Training 2020 program was implemented, with improvements in training methods for recruits, including, for example, virtual simulations and the intensification of “highlevel training activities,” the armed forces explain.
In terms of budget, Finland should already meet the limit set by NATO in 2023, which stipulates that at least 2% of the total state budget must be spent on defense, but it has always been close to this limit in recent years.
According to the 2022 Global Firepower Index, which lists the military power of 142 nations and refers to indicators such as human, natural and financial resources, geography or technical capacity, Finland ranks 53rd in the world, although, as far as reservists are concerned, achieved, for example it took a surprising fourth place in the rankings, with 900,000 citizens in reserve and a force of 280,000 troops ready to be mobilized for an eventual conflict, behind only Taiwan, Brazil and India.
In terms of the ability to activate and deactivate submarine mines, the Finns, washed by the Baltic Sea, rank sixth in the world rankings, surpassed only by Russia, China, Egypt, Japan and Poland.
Mandatory refresher exercises possible at any time
Finns enter the reserve at the age of 50 or 60, depending on their role and rank, and are required to notify the regional authorities of any change of address. They can be asked to take part in refresher exercises at any time they just need to receive the call for proposals three months before the exercise.
“If the security situation in Finland requires it, reservists may be requested by decision of the President of the Republic to participate in refresher exercises with less than three months’ notice. This allows for military readiness if required.”informs the website of the Finnish Armed Forces, which adds that these refresher exercises can last up to 200 days and are paid at a daily rate of at least around 60 euros.
According to the Global Firepower Index, Finland has nearly 2 million duty citizens out of a population of 5.5 million and 23,000 active military personnel who also have 14,000 paramilitary forces.
Finland has no aircraft carriers, destroyers or submarines, but has 200 tanks, 2,090 armored vehicles and 662 selfpropelled artillery units and 63 rocket launchers. Several specialized media point out that Finland has made great efforts to modernize the military with cuttingedge technology, namely acquiring AGM158 missiles and F35 fighter jets from the United States. And the Navy upgraded their Haminaclass ships a few years ago, equipping them with sonar and torpedo systems.
Finnish soldiers frequently conduct military exercises with Norway, which is a member of NATO, and as far as intelligence is concerned, Finland enjoys a good reputation at the European level for the work it has never failed in collecting data from Russia’s long border, which the two share countries.
What Finnish soldiers lack, say the specialized media, is the international aspect, as the armed forces focus on strategically defending territory and have little vocation for missions outside their country. However, the greatest danger for the Finns always lurked on the other side of the border.