The Nordic Response 2024 exercise is the first exercise in which Finland participates as a member of NATO, said the head of the Finnish exercise group, Brigadier General Manu Tuominen, Yle reported on March 4.
The Nordic Response 2024 military exercise has begun and will take place in the northern regions of Finland, Norway and Sweden. About 20 thousand soldiers from different countries will participate in them. The exercise is part of a wider series of NATO Stedfast Defender exercises, which began in January and continue until the end of May.
Tuominen noted that it is the largest NATO exercise in recent decades. He recalled that for the first time Finland participates in such exercises as a member of NATO. According to the general, the vast majority of Finnish forces are in the NATO chain of command. The main objective of the exercise is to improve the interoperability of the Finnish Armed Forces with allied forces.
“There are a lot of new things here. We are now integrating our own defense into NATO. That’s why these are important teachings.”Tuominen explained.
According to him, NATO Article 5 has been extended to Finland for the first time, meaning that Western Lapland becomes part of the training camp. Finland and Sweden will work together to create a divisional structure. The general added that French and British soldiers are also active in Finland. When asked how long it took to prepare for the exercise, Tuominen said it was at least a year.
“Active for at least a year. There is active cooperation with the authorities, we also had to negotiate with the police, for example, about the use of roads and territories. The border crossing had to be coordinated with the Norwegians and Swedes. “We had to reconnoitre the area to see where we could operate causing the least possible damage to civil society.” – said Tuominen.
As Yle points out, 4,100 soldiers of the Finnish Armed Forces participate in the exercises, of which 1,800 are reservists, and 700 pieces of equipment are used. 12 F/A-18 Hornet fighters of the Finnish Air Force participate in the exercise, eight of which are based in Andøya (Norway) and four in Oulunsalo.
Source: Rossa Primavera
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