Commander of the Finnish Defence Forces
The Commander of the Finnish Defence Forces is General Janne Jaakkola.
The commander of the Finnish Defence Forces is the chief of defence. The commander decides on the implementation of the Defence Forces' tasks and on the use of their capabilities. He steers the Defence Forces' activities in order for the Defence Forces' to achieve their objectives.
The commander of the FDF takes the strategic decisions on national military defence and commands the activities of the services and the National Defence University. The following generals are directly subordinate to the chief of defence:
- the Army, Navy and Air Force commanders
- the chief of the Defence Command
- the rector of the National Defence University.
In terms of the military chain of command, the commander of the Defence Forces is directly subordinate to the president of the republic. The commander of the FDF answers either to the president of the republic or the Council of State on the execution of FDF-related decisions.
The Defence Command functions as the supreme headquarters of the chief of defence and as the central administrative authority for the defence establishment. The Defence Command prepares all issues ordered by the commander and all matters pertaining to the entire Defence Forces.
The chief of defence is an expert adviser to the Cabinet Committee on Foreign and Security Policy in matters concerning the defence of the nation.
General Janne Jaakkola (b. 1967)
- Matriculation examination, Tuurepori Upper Secondary School 1986
- Military Academy 1987–90
- Instructor, Paratrooper School 1990–93
- Captain’s Career Course 1994
- Company Commander, Paratrooper School 1994–96
- Chief of Office, Paratrooper School 1996–97
- Senior Staff Officer Course 1997–98
- Staff Officer, Utti Jaeger Regiment 1998–2000
- General Staff Officer Course, Forsvarets Stabsskole, Norway 2000–2001
- Chief of Office, Utti Jaeger Regiment 2001–2002
- Senior Staff Officer, Western Command Headquarters 2002–2004
- Crisis Management Duties, KFOR/Kosovo 2003
- Senior Staff Officer, Defence Staff Intelligence Division 2004
- Aide de Camp to the Commander of the Finnish Defence Forces 2004–2007
- Battalion Commander, Utti Jaeger Regiment 2007–2010
- Crisis Management Duties, ISAF/Afganistan 2009
- Commander of the Special Operations Detachment (EUBG), Utti Jaeger Regiment 2010–2011
- Senior Staff Officer, Ministry of Defence 2011–2013
- Chief of Staff, Pori Brigade 2013–2015
- Chief of Branch, Defence Command Plans and Policy Division 2015–2017
- Special Assignment, Defence Command Logistics Division 2017
- Assistant Chief of Staff Logistics, Defence Command 2018–2020
- Chief of Planning 2021–2022
- Deputy chief of staff, strategy 2023–2024
- Chief of Defence 1.4.2024–
