The Finnish Armed Forces or, as they are officially called, the Finnish Defense Forces cannot boast a rich and long history. As such, they appeared relatively recently. But nevertheless, over the past time they have achieved good results and can boast of very serious equipment. Therefore, telling more about them will not be out of place.
Army History
Throughout their history, the Finns have been quite belligerent people. Which is not surprising - after all, their neighbors were Scandinavians and Russians. And armed conflicts constantly occurred with these peoples.
Some time after joining the Russian Empire (in 1809), the army was absent here as such. Therefore, the beginning of the armed forces of Finland as an independent state was laid only in 1918 - exactly 100 years ago.
After that, she had to go through baptism of fire in a battle with a truly formidable opponent - the USSR. The war lasted six months - from the fall of 1939 to the spring of 1940. Of course, Finland could not help but lose. However, she demonstrated a high military spirit.
A year later, the country had the opportunity to pay offenses - it sided with the Third Reich and took an active part in the war against the Soviet Union. True, in 1944, when the front line shifted west, Finland had to make peace with the enemy - a Moscow truce was signed, along which the country emerged from the war.
After that, the history of the Finnish armed forces can no longer boast of bright moments and exploits. Although the Finns participated in UN peacekeeping operations, they didn’t differ in major battles - after leaving the Second World War (almost three quarters of a century ago), the army lost less than fifty soldiers and officers dead.
Number today
Now we will be transported to the present and first of all we will tell about the size of the army of Finland.
In general, the armed forces of the country are quite developed, although not too numerous. They consist of land, naval and air forces. Special bodies that are also part of the army stand apart.
Despite numerous protests and demands to abandon the draft manning of the defense forces, the country's leadership continues this proven practice. Therefore, most of the armed forces are staffed precisely by conscripts.
The total number of defense forces today is 34, 000. Of these, the professional military is only eight thousand. Four thousand more are civil servants. The remaining 22, 000 are conscripts.
According to estimates by the Ministry of Defense, if necessary, in just 2-3 days, the number of troops can be significantly increased thanks to the mobilization of reservists - up to 340 thousand people. A pretty serious indicator for a country with a population of about five million people! Although much less than just twenty years ago - then this figure was about half a million people.
Emergency service
As mentioned above, the Finnish Armed Forces are composed mainly of draftees. Service is compulsory for all guys from the age of 18 who are fit for health and do not have appropriate contraindications. The only exception is the population of the Alan Islands - people from there are not required to serve.
The service life is quite short - only six months. But if a young man does not want to join the army and he prefers alternative service, then he will have to spend much more time - a whole year. But still, many choose the second option, since it is associated with less physical and psychological stress and is not fraught with danger.
Border guards - the elite of any army
The border troops in any country are the shield that comes with the first strike. Therefore, their preparation and packaging attach particular importance. Finland is no exception.
The number of border troops is quite small - only 3, 100 people. Moreover, more than five hundred of them accounted for paramilitary forces. About the same number are conscripts. But many officers passed the training center of the Armed Forces of Finland Rovaj RVI, which is considered very prestigious.
Border guards are not officially part of the army and are not subordinate to the Ministry of Defense. They are directly subordinate to the president of the state. But if martial law is introduced, the border troops will be transferred to the armed forces. Surely many will be surprised by such a system. However, in fact, it cannot be called new and unusual.
For example, in the USSR, on the eve of the Great Patriotic War, the border troops did not also enter the Armed Forces - they belonged to the NKVD of the state. The Finns appreciated the merits of this approach and completely copied it.
The technical equipment is very good for such a small number. The Finnish border guards have six patrol ships, six dozen patrol boats, as well as seven hovercraft. They also have at their disposal two German aircraft and eleven helicopters - French and American-made.
In general, the powers and duties of border guards are quite broad and diverse. In addition to the usual protection of the state border, there is a list of other goals. For example, passport control and physical training of draftees. Moreover, they also train intelligence officers and partisans for work in the occupied territories. In addition, they are obliged to investigate any crimes related to the border. And in small towns, they also carry out customs control.
In the northern regions of the country, border guards undergo special training for rescue operations.
Additionally, the rights of the police rest on the shoulders of the border service. For example, the military has the right to interrogate suspects and search apartments. However, there is a certain limitation - the police powers are exclusively vested in senior officers - from the head of the border detachment and above.
In emergency situations, border guards may be involved in police operations.
The main small arms of the Finnish border service is the local modification of the Kalashnikov assault rifle - RK 95 TP.
Ground troops
As in most armies in the world, it is the land forces of Finland that are the most numerous - they serve 24 500 people. They are summarized in four commands - on a territorial basis. They are called simply and uncomplicated - North, South, West and East. Each command is divided into brigades, and those are already on the shelves. The brigade includes about 2, 300 people, and 1, 700 of them are conscripts.
A regiment of rangers "Utti" is considered to be part of the special purpose. He reports directly to the command of the ground forces. It includes a jaeger battalion, a supply company and an army aviation battalion.
Aviation - Queen of Heaven
It’s stupid to argue about the importance of aviation in modern combat. The leadership of the Finnish army is well aware of this - the Air Force is equipped with outdated aircraft, but there are a lot of them and they are in perfect condition.
Mostly used by American and English aircraft. The main striking power is given to 56 F / A-18C - multipurpose fighters. In fact, this is the Finnish alteration of the American aircraft F / A-18 Hornet, which is produced under license. True, it was developed almost half a century ago, so, of course, it cannot compete with modern analogues. In addition, there are 58 Hawk training aircraft manufactured in England. Two F-27 passenger planes from the Netherlands are used for transporting military personnel and are also part of the Air Force.
However, there are also own developments of Finnish specialists. First of all, these are 28 Valmet L-70 aircraft and 9 Valmet L-90 Redigo aircraft. However, they are all educational, not combat.
In total, the Finnish Air Force has 121 aircraft. Very good for such a small country. Also, the Air Force includes 3850 people.
A few words about armored vehicles
For the past decade, armored vehicles have remained a powerful argument in any conflict. Therefore, the Finnish military also does not forget about quality equipment.
The main tank is the German "Leopard 2A4" - a proven and reliable machine. Developed in the seventies of the last century, it is still one of the most successful tanks in the world.
Finnish experts recognize the high quality of Soviet technology. The armament of the state is 92 BMP-2. Although the machine was developed about forty years ago, its excellent technical characteristics and high firepower make it a truly formidable weapon when used properly.
Also, Finnish armored forces are equipped with ten armored reconnaissance vehicles and 613 armored personnel carriers.
Who guards the sea
In peacetime, the Finnish Navy totals 6, 700 people - of which only 2, 400 officers and contractors. The remaining 4, 300 are conscripts. All of them are divided into two commands - the first refers to the Archipelago Sea (the command is located in the city of Turku), and the second to the Gulf of Finland (Upinniemi). In addition, the Navy includes the Uusimaa brigade, consisting of marines and coastal artillery.
This is not to say that the Finnish Navy is especially strong - they are primarily aimed at defensive actions and creating problems for a potential adversary when entering from the sea. Therefore, the main striking power is concentrated in only eight missile boats such as Hamina and Rauma.
But there are five mine-layers, which should block the approach to the country's coast from the sea. To combat minefields, thirteen minesweepers are used.
An interesting feature of the Navy is the large number of light high-speed landing boats - their main task is to work in skerry areas, which are very numerous on the coast of Finland.
Global modernization
It is worth saying that the leadership of the state takes the modernization of the army very seriously. More than 3 billion euros are spent annually on the maintenance and improvement of the army - a very large sum for a small state.
Therefore, in the coming years, among the armaments of the Finnish Armed Forces, for example, the American Stinger MANPADS should appear - for this, 127 million dollars were allocated.
Negotiations are also underway with the Netherlands on the purchase of German Leopard 2A6 tanks, which underwent repair and modernization. It is planned to purchase one hundred cars - a very serious power.
In the 2020s, it is planned to purchase new ships that are more relevant to modern requirements. And by the beginning of the 2030s, the Ministry of Defense plans to update the Air Force, replacing the obsolete Hornet fighters.
Refusal to enter NATO
Despite numerous invitations, Finland still has not become a member of NATO. First of all, the government explains this decision by saying that it does not want to spoil relations with such an influential neighbor as Russia.
In general, it is worth saying that service in the Finnish army is not particularly prestigious. Despite the large salaries even by local standards, the Armed Forces are constantly lacking in regular military personnel. This is primarily due to the fact that most men of the once formidable and warlike people simply refuse to join the army, whose activities are associated with constant danger and serious physical exertion.
