French Mountain Troops Conclude Historic First Long-Term Deployment to Finland

During this spring, France conducted its first extended deployment to Finland, sending approximately 180 soldiers from the 27e Brigade d’Infanterie de Montagne. The mountain troops arrived at the end of February and departed at the beginning of June. French and Finnish soldiers exchanged expertise and significantly enhanced their capability to fight together in Nordic conditions.

Over the three-month period, the Battle Unit Finland (BUF), trained closely with the Finnish Army. In addition to daily training with the Jaeger Brigade, they participated in major joint exercises, including Cold Response 26 in the Lapland and Northern Star 26 in the Kainuu region. Throughout their stay, the French mountain infantry experienced a broad spectrum of Finnish seasons and terrains.

While highly skilled in high-altitude mountain warfare, they adapted to a markedly different environment featuring dense forests, vast swamps, and challenging Arctic conditions. The soldiers honed their skills in movement, water crossings, and combat techniques tailored to Nordic forests. Close tactical and technical cooperation with Finnish units especially in engineering, artillery, and air support markedly improved interoperability between the two armies.

The successful deployment of the Battle Unit Finland highlights France’s strong commitment to Finland and demonstrates the deepening cooperation between the French and Finnish armies. This historic deployment lays a solid foundation for even deeper bilateral defence collaboration, increased interoperability, and strengthened collective security on Europe’s northeastern flank in the years ahead.