“The launch of FLF Finland is a significant step in the process to strengthen Finland and the northern flank of the whole Alliance,” Finland’s Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen said. “At the start of the government term, we announced as our goal to establish NATO’s Forward Land Forces in Finland. We promoted our objectives with determination at ministerial and commander level and in various NATO bodies, and our Allies endorsed our proposal. Since then, progress have been swift, and FLF Finland will be officially founded tomorrow.”
With the establishment of FLF Finland, a Swedish battlegroup based in Boden in northern Sweden and a Multinational Staff Element in Rovaniemi in northern Finland were transferred under NATO command. They were placed under General Alexus G. Grynkewich, Supreme Allied Commander Europe, and NATO.
“This region is one of the most strategically significant and environmentally challenging areas in the world,” said U.S. Air Force General Alexus G. Grynkewich, Supreme Allied Commander Europe. “FLF Finland, just like Arctic Sentry, will leverage NATO’s strength to defend our territory and ensure the Arctic and High North remains secure, especially considering Russia’s military activity and China’s growing interest there.”
The core of FLF Finland is a Swedish battalion-size battlegroup of around 600 highly trained soldiers. The unit has the ability to move rapidly from its base in Boden to Finland and operates under the Multinational Staff Element in Rovaniemi.
In future, FLF Finland is planned to reach brigade size. Scaling it up beyond the battalion-size battlegroup to a brigade-size unit will be exercised regularly.
“Like NATO’s other Forward Land Forces, FLF Finland, too, has been designed for operations in specific geographical environments and for response to specific threats. In practice, FLF Finland will strengthen NATO’s deterrence and defence in the High North by providing SACEUR with forces specialised on Arctic conditions, reinforcing the security of Finland and our neighbouring regions. At the same time, we will provide our Allies with an opportunity to exercise land warfare in Arctic conditions,” Minister Häkkänen said.
Häkkänen said long-standing Finnish-Swedish defence cooperation had enabled rapid progress in turning the FLF Finland plan into reality. He said the movement of Swedish forces from Sweden to Finland had been exercised earlier this year during the Cold Response exercise.
“Defence cooperation between Finland and Sweden is of long standing, enabling the rapid progress we have made with turning FLF Finland from plans into reality. Earlier this year, the movement of Swedish forces from Sweden to Finland was exercised during the Cold Response exercise. The plan is to transform them into multinational forces, and to continue improving exercises in the FLF Finland framework together with Sweden and other Allies. The Arctic conditions in Northern Finland necessitate that any Ally contributing to FLF Finland can provide forces and capabilities fit for our conditions,” Häkkänen said.
Sweden said the deployment reflected its commitment to reinforcing NATO’s northeastern flank. The force placed Swedish troops under NATO command as part of FLF Finland.
“Sweden takes the work to reinforce NATO’s northeastern flank seriously, as clearly demonstrated by Swedish troops now being placed under NATO command in FLF Finland,” Sweden’s Minister of Defence Pål Jonson said in a press release. “Things have progressed quickly, and I welcome the positive and close cooperation with Finland, NATO and our Allies in this work.”
The decision to establish FLF Finland was made by NATO heads of state and government at the Washington Summit in 2024. NATO said the establishment was completed in under two years.
FLF Finland falls within the area of responsibility of Joint Force Command Norfolk. JFC Norfolk is one of NATO’s three joint force commands and is subordinate to SACEUR and Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe.
NATO’s other Forward Land Forces are located in Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. FLF Finland extends that posture to the High North and gives NATO forces specialised for Arctic conditions on the Alliance’s northern flank.
