Brigadier General Juha-Matti Ylitalo, Deputy Chief of the Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command, and Mr Colin Munce, NSPA Deputy Director of Operations, formalised Finland’s membership. The event was also attended by Lieutenant Colonel Katri Teho, Finnish Country Liaison Officer to NSPA, Mr Valsamis Theotokis, OLSP Chief, and Mr Christopher de Marco, OLSP Logistics Officer.
General Ylitalo highlighted the significance of Finland’s participation in the HNAS initiative as a means to enhance Allied forces’ operational readiness on Finnish territory. Mr Munce praised Finland’s proactive leadership in addressing host nation support (HNS) capability gaps, alongside its Nordic Allies.
The HNAS Project Group, established in April 2024 by the 27 OLSP Participating Nations, provides a platform to develop capabilities essential for sustaining NATO forces in times of crisis. Originally sponsored by Norway and later joined by Sweden, Finland’s co-sponsorship signals strengthened Nordic cooperation within NATO frameworks.
This development is expected to improve interoperability and readiness in cold-weather environments. NSPA will work closely with Finnish Armed Forces and their Nordic partners to refine HNS augmentation capabilities in line with multinational needs.
Source: NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA).
