Search

The Finnish Navy will be exercising with the United States Navy in the Northern Baltic Sea, and with Marines in the areas of Hanko and Upinniemi from 8 - 19 August.

9.6.2025 | General Bryan P. Fenton, Commander of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), visited Finland on 7 June. The visit was hosted by Lieutenant General Kari Nisula, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations of the Finnish Defence Forces. General Fenton also met with the Chief of Defence, General Janne Jaakkola.

16.9.2025 | The first group of Finnish Air Force personnel began their initial training in September at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, where they will receive theoretical and simulator training on the F-35 multi-role fighter.

11.8.2025 | The Finnish Air Force's F/A-18 Hornet pilots will fly training missions with the United States Air Force’s KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft between 11 and 15 August 2025.

11.8.2025 | The Finnish Air Force's F/A-18 Hornet pilots will fly training missions with the United States Air Force’s KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft between 11 and 15 August 2025.

7.4.2025 | The Commander of the Finnish Air Force visited Lockheed Martin's F-35 production line in Fort Worth and the Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith at the end of March. Finland's first F-35 fighter jets are currently in production, and preparations are underway at the training bases for the arrival of Finnish personnel.

6.8.2025 | During the second half of the year, the United States will take extensively part in military presence and training activities in Finland and the Baltic Sea region.

28.10.2024 | The Chief of the Defence Command, Lieutenant General Vesa Virtanen visited The United States of America 22-27 October 2024.

3.10.2025 | The United States European Command’s Deputy Director of Operations, Brigadier General Mathew Wenthe, and the Joint Force Headquarters-Cyber (Air Force) Deputy Commander, Brigadier General Heather Blackwell, visited Finland on September 16-17, 2025. The visit was hosted by Defence Command Chief of C5, Major General Jarmo Vähätiitto.

11.8.2025 | Representatives of the United States Joint Staff, USJS and of the U.S. military branches’ logistics leadership visited Finland 7–9 August 2025. The visit was hosted by the Defence Forces Deputy Chief of Staff Logistics and Armaments, Lieutenant General Jari Mikkonen.

6.3.2025 | Two U.S. B-52 Stratofortress bombers dropped guided JDAM bombs on targets in Rovajärvi firing range area on 6 March. Finnish Air Force F/A-18 Hornet fighters escorted the bombers to the target area.

6.3.2025 | Two U.S. B-52 Stratofortress bombers dropped guided JDAM bombs on targets in Rovajärvi firing range area on 6 March. Finnish Air Force F/A-18 Hornet fighters escorted the bombers to the target area.

23.9.2022 | A unit from the United States Marine Corps’ 2nd Marine Logistics Group will be coming to Finland to train with Finnish units. It will be training with the Nyland Brigade from October until early December. Most Marines from the unit will arrive in Finland early next week.

24.1.2024 | Finland is deepening its bilateral partnership with the United States in the field of cyber defence. The parties approved and signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) on advanced cyber partnership in Helsinki today, on the 24th of January 2024. The event was hosted by the Finnish Defence Forces Deputy Chief of Staff Operations, Major General Kari Nisula. The United States representatives in the event were ...

30.3.2026 | The introduction into service of the F-35 capability progresses, and the first multirole fighters will be flown to Finland this autumn. In this article, the Commander of the Finnish Air Force and the Director of the F-35 Programme explain details of how the service introduction of the fighter jet in the course of the year will take place.

19.9.2023 | General Bryan P. Fenton, Commander of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), visited Finland on 18–19 September 2023. The visit was hosted by the Commander of the Finnish Defence Forces, General Timo Kivinen.

EUTM Somalia Established in 2010, EUTM Somalia aims to support the development of the Somali security forces by providing training and advice. The overall strength of the Finnish personnel in the operation is 12 persons. EUTM Somalia supports the ...

2.5.2024 | Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen and Governor of Virginia Glen Youngkin signed a Letter of Intent on behalf of the Ministry of Defence and the Virginia National Guard relating to the accession on 2 May 2024. The Letter of Intent provides for a start of co-operation between the Finnish Defence Forces and the Virginia National Guard.

14.12.2023 | The Finnish Defence Forces has been engaged in bilateral and multilateral cooperation with different countries for a long time. The defence cooperation agreement between Finland and the United States will further strengthen the alliance between the defence forces of the two countries. It also demonstrates the commitment of the United States to enhancing the security of Finland and Northern Europe.

Foreign citizens who have gained Finnish citizenship and who have completed the compulsory peacetime military service of his/her former home country, or a portion of if (at least four (4) months) can upon application be exempted from military service in peacetime. Decisions regarding exemption are made by the regional offices.