Military environment

  • Russian plans to strengthen the defences of its western borders.
    • The Kola Peninsula, St. Petersburg, the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad are militarily important
    • Re-establishment of the Leningrad Military District and increase in its armed forces
    • Most of Russia’s ground forces previously neighbouring Finland are currently in Ukraine
    • Russia is increasing its information influence and other propaganda
  • Sweden is strengthening its defence capability (e.g. in Gotland).
    • Professional army, selective conscription
    • Advanced naval and air forces
    • NATO membership
  • Norway is strengthening its military capability in its northern regions.
    • Major economic, political, and military interests in the High North
    • NATO military exercises
  • The Baltic States’ limited territorial surveillance capabilities.
    • Military defence relies on NATO
  • NATO Enhanced Forward Presence in its Eastern European Allies
  • NATO Air policing
  • The US military presence is growing
    • Basing rights and rotating forces in Greenland, Iceland, Norway, the Baltic States and Poland
    • Exercises increasing in the Baltic Sea and within NATO countries in the region

The military operating environment of Finland refers to an area where the military situation and events currently concern or may, in the future, concern Finland’s defence. Although this primarily applies to Finland’s neighbouring regions, security events taking place further afield in Europe may also have indirect effects.

From the perspective of the Finnish Defence Forces, the military operating environment can also include crisis areas where Finland participates in military crisis management operations.

The Military Balance 2023