Readiness for disturbance situations by means of local defence exercises

The Army will exercise local defence across Finland during 24.2.–10.3.2023. The exercises will develop the local forces’ competence as well as inter-agency cooperation in all of Finland. In conjunction with the exercises, up to c. 2,800 reservists will undertake refresher training.

The exercise entity for the spring will involve six regional exercises in total. The exercises will be attended by more than 6,000 personnel from the Finnish Defence Forces, altogether c. 2,200 of whom will be conscripts, and c. 1,000 service personnel. Additionally, the training audience will include public authorities from cities, police and rescue departments, and wellbeing services counties, as well as corporate and national defence training operators.

Exercising to strengthen common security

This spring, the local defence exercises will have the Army local forces exercise regional guarding, securing, and combat missions as well as develop command, control, and communications, information transmission and shared situation picture with other public authorities. The joint objective is to prepare for disturbance situations. Exercising and drilling aim to secure, for instance, sustained transports, energy supplies and functioning of information networks in case of a disturbance situation, as well as to prevent disturbances from extending beyond a given area.

– Local security is a shared responsibility. By exercising with other public authorities on a regular basis we ensure that we sustain a sound capability for interoperable cooperating and securing citizens’ everyday life in all situations, DCOS Army Operations Brigadier General Sami-Antti Takamaa says.

Strengthening the Finnish Defence Forces’ readiness and capability in all of Finland, the local forces’ tasks include, for instance, securing strategic targets, controlling areas, conducting combat missions and counter-SOF missions. Alongside the Finnish Defence Forces’ service personnel, reservists trained for local defence tasks with thorough knowledge of the set area of operations are assigned to the local forces. 

– Reservists remain key to local defence. As part of the exercises this spring, the reservists get to exercise their assigned wartime tasks in a versatile manner and cooperate with their area’s public authorities, Brigadier General Takamaa points out.  

Local defence continues to be exercised on a regular basis as part of the Army annual TREX activity, considering the specificities of each area and region. The planning for exercise and inter-agency cooperation entity is led by the Army Command.  

Exercise events in your local area

The local defence exercises will be visible across Finland on 24.2.–10.3.2023. Vehicles will be on the move in residential areas, and some of the exercises will involve flight activity. The training audience troops will use blank drilling ammunition that pose no danger but may cause noise. 

Pohjoinen

• exercise date and time: 24.2.–3.3.2023
• exercise area: Rovaniemi, Kemi, Rovajärvi, Sodankylä
• Alongside national training audience, the exercise will be participated by USAR training audience troops exercising with the Army at the Rovajärvi area 
• national training audience troops up to c.  660 personnel, international training audience 290
• c. 130 vehicles
• public authorities participating: Lapland Police Department, Lapland Rescue Department, City of Rovaniemi, Wellbeing Services County of Lapland, Lapland Regional State Administrative Agency, Finavia
• exercise director: Colonel Kimmo Kinnunen
• exercise PIO: Taina Pirinen, tel. +358 299 452 346, [email protected] 

Oulu

• exercise date and time: 25.2.–3.3.2023
• exercise area: Oulu and its vicinity
• up to c. 850 personnel
• c. 130 vehicles
• public authorities participating: Oulu Police Department, North Ostrobothnia Rescue Department, Kainuu Rescue Department, Northern Finland Regional State Administrative Agency, North Ostrobothnia Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment, Customs, City of Oulu, Municipality of Kempele 
• exercise director: Colonel Ari Lehmuslehti
• exercise PIO: Satu Hujanen, tel. +358 299 451 113, [email protected] 

Kehä

• exercise date and time: 2.–10.3.2023
• exercise area: Helsinki, Vantaa, Sipoo and Tuusula
• up to c. 1,250 personnel
• c. 200 vehicles
• public authorities participating: Helsinki Police Department, Helsinki City Rescue Department, City of Helsinki
• exercise director: Colonel Vesa Laitonen
• exercise PIO: Meri Leppänen, tel. +358 299 421 235, [email protected] (on 2.-4.3.), Lotta Laaksonen, tel. +358 299 421 233, [email protected] (on 5.-10.3.)

Satakunta

• exercise date and time: 3.–10.3.2023
• exercise area: Niinisalo, Säkylä, Pori, Rauma, Eurajoki
• up to c. 880 personnel
• c. 200 vehicles
• public authorities participating: Cities of Pori and Rauma, Municipality of Eurajoki, West Finland Coast Guard District, National Police Board of Finland, Southwestern Finland Police Department, Satakunta Rescue Department
• exercise director: Colonel Marko Kivelä
• exercise PIO: Henna Mäntylä, tel. +358 299 443 303, [email protected] 

Pirkanmaa

• exercise date and time: 6.–10.3.2023
• exercise area: Lempäälä, Pirkkala, Nokia, Ylöjärvi, Virrat, Ruovesi, Orivesi, Kangasala, Hattula, Hämeenlinna, Jyväskylä and Lahti
• up to c. 1,500 personnel
• c. 200 vehicles
• public authorities participating: Wellbeing Service County of Pirkanmaa, Central Finland Police Department, Pirkanmaa Rescue Department, State Administrative Agency for Western and Inland Finland, Tampere University Hospital
• exercise director: Lieutenant Colonel Hannu Koivisto
• exercise PIO: Mirva Riihimäki, tel. +358 299 442 414, [email protected] 

Kymi 

• exercise date and time: 6.–10.3.2023 
• exercise area: Kouvola, Iitti, Luumäki 
• up to c. 1,100 personnel
• c. 160 vehicles
• public authorities participating: Southeast Finland Border Guard District, National Defence Training Association Southeast Finland National Defence District, Southeast Finland Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Envronment, City of Kouvola, Southeast Finland Police Department, Wellbeing Service County of Kymenlaakso, Kymenlaakso Rescue Department
• exercise director: Colonel Petri Olli
• exercise PIO: Jaana Kuusisto, tel. +358 299 432 784, [email protected] 
   

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For information on how to apply for your own region’s local forces, please see: https://intti.fi/paikallisjoukot