Tomorrow, advanced NATO ground forces will be established in Finland 0 12

Advanced NATO ground forces in Finland (FLF Finland) will be created on June 13. This will mean that the Swedish group in Boden and the headquarters in Rovaniemi will come under the command of the Supreme Allied Commander Europe.

The ceremony for the establishment of the FLF Finland NATO forces will take place on Saturday in Boden. A battalion of 600 personnel will begin operations as part of the brigade. Its tasks will include regularly conducting exercises and operations in northern Finland.

The battalion is stationed in Boden, from where Swedish troops can quickly reach Finland if necessary.

In the future, the unit will become multinational, attracting military personnel from the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Denmark, and Iceland.

Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen (CP) called the establishment of the unit an important milestone in strengthening the northern flank of Finland and the entire alliance.

"We aimed to create advanced NATO ground forces in Finland. We promoted this goal at the ministerial level, among military leadership, and in various structures of the alliance. And we received support for our proposal from allied countries," noted the head of the defense ministry.

A representative of the Coalition Party in Lapland and chairman of the parliamentary defense committee, Heikki Autto, welcomed the decision.

"The placement of the headquarters will attract dozens of officers from allied countries and their families to Lapland," said Autto.

Most of the military personnel will come to Finland mainly for exercises. The contingent's strength during normal times will be 500–800 military personnel, but it can be increased to 3,000–5,000 if necessary.

In addition to Sweden, the operations of the advanced NATO ground forces in Finland will involve the United Kingdom, Italy, France, and Scandinavian countries.