The Finnish Defence Forces will celebrate the 105th Independence Day of Finland by a national parade on 6 December in Hamina. The theme of the parade is Security will be done together. The review of troops will be arranged on Hamina sports field and the pass in review on Kadettikoulunkatu. The Finnish Defence Forces’ and other agencies’ equipment will be on display for familiarisation at the square of the Finnish Flag. The events will be free of charge.
The parade will be participated by troops from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and National Defence University, as well as from the Finnish Border Guard and veterans’ and national defence organisations altogether up to c. 1,200 personnel. The event will include equipment of the Police, Rescue Department and Customs.
The review of troops will be reviewed and the pass in review received by the Finnish Defence Forces’ Deputy Chief of Staff Armaments and Logistics, Lieutenant General Timo Kakkola accompanied in the pass in review by Hamina Town Council Chair Ms Titta Erkkilä. The parades’ guests of honour will be veterans and lottas of our wars. The parade troops will be commanded by the Finnish Army Chief of Operations, Brigadier General Tero Ylitalo. The field devotional will be held in the review of troops by the Finnish Defence Forces’ Logistic Command’s Senior Chaplain Kari Mannermaa. The parade arrangements will remain the responsibility of the Army Academy, and the music of the Dragoon Band. The parade will be presented to the public by journalist, Captain in the reserve Riku Rantala.
Programme
The Independence Day festivities will start by a flag raising ceremony by the Reserve Officer School Main Building (Kadettikoulunkatu 6) at 8. Simultaneously, the Swallow-Tailed State Flag will be hoisted to the extra-tall flagpole in Hamina at the Square of the Finnish Flag.
In conjunction with the flag raising ceremony by the Main Building, the Reserve Officer Club of Hamina will lay a wreath at the statue Commemorating Fallen Officers.
The Colour Guard will be formed by officer students and officer candidates of the Headquarters and Signals Company of the Reserve Officer Course 261.
The Finnish Defence Forces’ Deputy Chief of Staff Armaments and Logistics, Lieutenant General Timo Kakkola and Hamina Town Council Chair Ms Titta Erkkilä will lay wreaths at the graves commemorating fallen soldiers assisted by Chair of the Reserve Officer School Student Committee and by Student Representative of Hamina Upper Secondary School.
Music will be performed by the Dragoon Band and Choir of the Reserve Officer School Student Committee.
The Lutheran service on the Independence Day will be ministered at Maria church from 10 onwards.
The guests of honour at the Lutheran service will be the veterans and lottas of our wars.
The equipment and activity field will be available for visitors at the Square of the Finnish Flag on Independence Day at 09-16.
The equipment and activity field will offer familiarisation with equipment and activity of the Finnish Defence Forces, Police, Rescue Department and Customs. At the Square of the Finnish flag, the Finnish Border Guard and National Defence Training Association will also be telling about their activity.
The Soldiers’ Home canteen will have their service points available in the area as well.
The equipment display will include:
Main battle tank Leopard 2A6
Surface-to-air missile 12 NASAMS II FIN
Armoured personnel carrier XA-360 mounted with 40mm automatic grenade launcher
Miniature unmanned aerial system (MUAS) Orbiter 2b
The review of troops will be arranged on Hamina sports field at 12 (Rauhankatu 8 b). The troops will be aligning to position from 11:30 onwards. It is worthwhile to be at the review of troops site before troop deployment to follow the fly-past of an NH90 transport helicopter of the Utti Jaeger Regiment at 11:20.
The review of troops will be reviewed by The Finnish Defence Forces’ Deputy Chief of Staff Armaments and Logistics, Lieutenant General Timo Kakkola. The parade troops will be commanded by the Finnish Army Chief of Operations, Brigadier General Tero Ylitalo. The field devotional will be held by the Finnish Defence Forces’ Logistics Command’s Senior Chaplain Kari Mannermaa.
The parade will be presented to the public by journalist, Captain in the reserve Riku Rantala. The music in the parade will be the responsibility of the Dragoon Band.
The public will be welcome to follow the review of troops on Hamina sports field from the directions of Rauhankatu, Roopertinkatu, Villenkatu and Urheilijankatu and asked to arrive by foot well on time.
Order of review of troops:
A. Reviewer of the review of troops B. Commander of the parade C. Senior Chaplain 1. Choir 2. Dragoon Band 3. Swallow-Tailed State Flag 4. Jaeger Flag 5. Massed Standards of Veterans 6. Finnish Army Colour Party (Army Academy) 7. Finnish Navy Colour Party (Nyland Brigade) 8. Finnish Air Force Colour Party (Air Force Academy) 9. Finnish Border Guard 10. Finnish National Defence University 11. Guard Jaeger Regiment 12. Utti Jaeger Regiment 13. Karelia Brigade 14. Armoured Brigade 15. Pori Brigade 16. Local Defence Company 17. Massed Standards of National Defence Organisations 18. Soldiers' Home Association 19. National Defence Training Association of Finland 20. Peacekeepers’ Association 21. Women’s National Emergency Preparedness Association 22. Women's National Defence Union Welcome!
The pass in review will start on Kadettikoulunkatu at 13:15. The troops will advance from Hamina sports field to the pass in review start line on Rauhankatu – Kirkkojärvenkatu – Kari Lindbergin katu – Rantakatu – Kaalipellonkatu – Koulukatu.
The review podium site for the pass in review will be on Kadettikoulunkatu by the Reserve Officer School Main Building. The startline for the dismounted detachments will be at the crossing of Kadettikoulunkatu and Erottajankatu, whereas that of the motorised detachments will be to line with the crossing of Annankatu and Koulukatu. The pass in review will advance from Kadettikoulunkatu to Maariankatu.
The pass in review will be received by the Finnish Defence Forces Deputy Chief of Staff Armaments and Logistics, Lieutenant General Timo Kakkola accompanied by Hamina Town Council Chair Ms Titta Erkkilä. The parade troops will be commanded by the Finnish Army Chief of Operations, Brigadier General Tero Ylitalo.
The pass in review will include c. 900 personnel dismounted as well as nearly 50 vehicles of the Finnish Defence Forces, Police and Customs in the motorised detachments. The pass in review will close with the heritage cavalry equestrians of the Dragoon Guild.
The fly-pasts of the pass in review will feature Finnish Army NH90 transport helicopters and Hughes MD500 light helicopters as well as Air Force F/A-18 Hornet multirole fighters and Hawk jet trainers. The fly-pasts will cause noise over the area of Hamina. The optimal locations for following the pass in review will be along Kadettikoulunkatu and Maariankatu.
The music performed in the event will remain the responsibility of the Dragoon Band.
ORDER OF PASS IN REVIEW
The order of the dismounted detachments in the parade:
Dismounted troops Parade Commander Army Chief of Operations, Brigadier General Tero Ylitalo. Swallow-Tailed State Flag Jaeger Flag Massed Standard of Veterans Army Colour Party, Army Academy Navy Colour Party, Nylands Brigade Air Force Colour Party, Air Force Academy Finnish Border Guard Colour Party, North Karelia Border Guard District National Defence University Guard Jaeger Regiment Utti Jaeger Regiment South Kymenlaakso Local Defence Company Massed Standards of National Defence Associations Soldiers’ Home Association National Defence Training Association of Finland Peace Keepers’ Association of Finland Women’s National Emergency Preparedness of Finland Women’s National Defence Union
Motorised detachments
Karelia Brigade’s detachment Infantry fighting vehicle CV9030 (Commander of the Karelia Brigade) IFV CV9030 (Karelia Brigade Flag) IFV CV9030 (2) Main battle tank LEOPARD 2A6 (2) Infantry fighting vehicle CV9030 and NLAW anti-tank guided missile (2) Surface-to-air missile ITO 05 (2) Pontoon vehicle (1) Armoured advanced mortar system vehicle XA-361 AMOS (1) Signals container CL660 Armoured howitzer 155 PSH K9 (2) Armoured howitzer 155 PSH K9 command post vehicle + container Armoured Brigade’s detachment Main battle tank LEOPARD 2A6 (Commander of the Armoured Brigade) MBT LEOPARD 2A6 (Armoured Brigade Flag) MBT LEOPARD 2A6 (2) Tank for liquid fuel transport (1) Heavy platform mounted with a medium-heavy armoured towing vehicle on a Leopard chassis (LEO1 ARV) Light platform transporting two motorised working machines Tractor + forklift spikes + container (1) Tractor + plough + container (1) ATV MT-LBU (medevac) (1) Maintenance container SISU E13 (1) Surface-to-air missile ITO-12 launcher (1) Surface-to-air missile system ITO12 battalion command post (1) SAM ITO12 radar (1) FDC combat C5 system (1) Electro optical sensor (1) Loading vehicle (1) Target acquisition radar MOSTKA 87 (1)
Pori Brigade’s detachment Armoured Personnel Carrier XA-360 (Commander of the Pori Brigade and Pori Brigade Flag) Command Post Vehicle XA-202 (1) Armoured Personnel Carrier XA-203 (2) CBRNe and combat engineer vehicle (1) AT vehicle SISU E15TP (1) Tactical patrol vehicle RG32 (2) Armoured Personnel Carrier XA-180M (2) Quad bike+trailer mounted with MUAS (Orbiter) (2) Field gun 155K98 (1) Heavy rocket launcher MLRS 298 (1)
Police Patrol vehicle WV Transporter (1) Armoured vehicle LAPV 5.4 (1) Personnel transport vehicle for crowd management team VATI (1) Vehicle for weighing calibration (1)
Customs Scanning/detection vehicle for containers/equiv. (1) Patrol vehicle (1) Vehicle for demanding vehicle inspections (1)
The national parade on the Independence Day will contribute to changes affecting traffic and parking in Hamina on 6 December 2022. To avoid traffic congestion, the public is asked to move on foot in the downtown area for the duration of the parade events.
