The maximum number of military personnel is estimated at 5,000.
The forward headquarters of the North Atlantic Alliance's land forces will be established in Rovaniemi. This decision was made by Minister of Defense Antti Häkkänen (KOK).
"The headquarters will be a permanent representation of the FLF (Forward Land Forces – NATO's forward land forces) in northern Finland. Rovaniemi is an ideal location for such a headquarters," stated the head of the defense ministry.
Half of the tasks of the headquarters will be carried out by Finland and Sweden, while the other half will be performed by other NATO member countries.
The number of staff at the headquarters in Rovaniemi will be the same as in Mikkeli, that is, several dozen people.
Heikki Autto, a representative of the Coalition Party in Lapland and chairman of the parliamentary defense committee, welcomed the decision.
"The establishment of the headquarters will attract dozens of officers from allied countries and their families to Lapland," noted Autto.
Most of the military personnel will come to Finland primarily for exercises. The number of troops during normal times will be 500–800 servicemen, but it can be increased to 3,000–5,000 if necessary.
In addition to Sweden, the operations of NATO's forward land forces in Finland will involve the United Kingdom, Italy, France, and Scandinavian countries.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T921-AyIw_A?si=Nx-IKkFLeLotGT5N" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
