Karelian Sword 26 to be held in Southeastern Finland in May 2026

The Karelian Brigade will lead the Karelian Sword 26 exercise in the regions of Kymenlaakso, South Savo and South Karelia from 22 to 29 May 2026.

The Karelian Sword 26 exercise develops the competence of participating troops, the performance of command levels, and the interoperability of branches and units both nationally and together with allied forces. The exercise will involve approximately 10,000 soldiers. Of these, around 5,800 are conscripts, approximately 2,700 are reservists, and around 1,400 are personnel of the Finnish Defence Forces.

The exercise serves as the final exercise for conscript leaders who began their conscript service in July last year (2/25) and for conscripts trained for rank duties who began their service last January (1/26).

The exercise will be commanded by the Assistant Commander of the Karelian Brigade, Colonel Ari Määttä.

“Karelian Sword 26 will bring together highly capable troops from all Army units in Southern Finland. The exercise, taking place at the end of May, will develop the competence, performance, and interoperability of participating troops and command levels in Southeastern Finland” says Colonel Ari Määttä, the exercise director.

Participants from Across the Finnish Defence Forces and Allied Nations

In addition to the Karelian Brigade, units participating in the exercise include troops from the Pori Brigade, Armoured Brigade, Army Academy, National Defence University, Guard Jaeger Regiment, Utti Jaeger Regiment, and the Finnish Border Guard. In addition, personnel and units from the Defence Command, the Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command, and the Finnish Defence Forces C5 Agency will participate.

The exercise will also include troops and staff officers from the United Kingdom and the United States. Participating allied units include elements of the Virginia National Guard engineer company and a combat helicopter detachment from the 4 Regiment Army Air Corps (4AAC).

The exercise will involve approximately 1,500 vehicles, including heavy transport equipment and armoured vehicles. The exercise will also include flight operations by the Finnish Defence Forces and allied nations.

Part of a Larger Army Exercise Entity Involving 19,000 Soldiers

All Finnish Army units will conduct joint operations training with allied forces during May. Through several exercises conducted simultaneously, the Finnish Army will strengthen its defence capability across different parts of Finland, improve conscript competence, and enhance joint operations with allied forces.

The exercise entity includes personnel from all Finnish Army units as well as other branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. Troop movements will affect traffic across Finland, particularly at the beginning and end of the exercises. Personnel and equipment from international exercise units will arrive in Finland in phases. The spring exercise entity will also involve a significant amount of flight activity.

The Karelian Sword 26 exercise led by the Karelian Brigade can be followed on social media using the hashtags #KarelianSword26 and #KASW26.