Commander of the Finnish Army attended events and activities of Armies’ leadership held in the United Kingdom and in Sweden

The Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Pasi Välimäki attended the RUSI Land Warfare Conference 2026 (LWC) held in London, and visited the Headquarters of the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC) in Gloucester. Additionally, the Commander also attended the Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative (EFDI) -symposium held in Stockholm, as well as the Change of Command Ceremony of the Chief of the Swedish Army.

The RUSI Land Warfare Conference 2026 convened Army leadership, experts, and defence industry representatives from nations of the Alliance and beyond to discuss the development of armies and of land operations, the strengthening of the Alliance’s deterrence, as well as changes on the modern battlefield. 

During his visit at the HQ ARRC, the Commander of the Army met with the Commander of the ARRC, Lieutenant General Mike Elviss CB MBE. The meeting included discussing topical matters relating to the fields of operations and training activity. The majority of the British Army’s Regular Army is under the command and control of the Field Army command.  Bilateral co-operation and training activity between Finland and the UK have increased and deepened significantly over the past years. 

Held in Stockholm, the EFDI symposium provided the opportunity to discuss the capability development of the alliance’s armies operating in the arctic and subarctic region, and current changes in the security environment. 

At the end of the series of visits, the Commander of the Army attended the Change of Command Ceremony of the Chief of the Swedish Army. Major General Jonny Lindfors will be succeeded for the moment by Brigadier General Per Nilsson.

– Our co-operation with Sweden and other Nordic countries is very pragmatic, in some aspects even routine. We develop our nations’ armies in quite the same direction, and carry out joint procurements to develop army resilience, and do so as cost-effectively as possible. Our training activity is intense and tied to our operational tasks. The Swedish-led Forward Land Forces set an excellent example of a truly pragmatic way to complete the missions tasked to us by the Alliance and by the Government, says Lieutenant General Välimäki.