Finnish Defence Forces
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{{Military | color=#aaaaff | age=18 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military service (October 2004) | availability=1,226,890 (2004 est.) | service=1,013,961 (2004 est.) | reaching age=32,058 (2004 est.) | active= | amount=$2.6 billion (FY05/06) | percent GDP=1,4% (FY05/06) }}
The Finnish Defence Forces (Finnish Puolustusvoimat; Swedish Försvarsmakten) consist of 34,700 people in uniform (27,300 army, 3,000 navy, and 4,400 air force). Finland's defence budget equals about 1.4% of the GDP. A universal male conscription is in place, under which all men above 18 years of age serve from 6 to 12 months. However, inhabitants of Finland's Åland islands and Jehovah's Witnesses are exempt. Also a 13-month-long non-military service is possible. As of 1995, women were permitted to serve on a voluntary basis. The defence is based on a large trained reserve. Finland can mobilize 490,000 trained military personnel in a crisis situation.
The Finnish Defence Forces are under the command of the Chief of Defence, who is directly subordinate to the President of the Republic in matters related to the military command. At the moment (February 2006) the Chief of Defence is Admiral Juhani Kaskeala.
Military doctrine: Self-defensive; independent defence of all of domestic territory; NATO Partnership for Peace affiliate; committed to pan-European (incl. Russia) treaty of trust-enhancing cooperation, such as providing access for international observers during major exercises.
In 2005 the Finnish defence ministry announced a cost-cutting plan. The Helsinki Air Defence Regiment in Hyrylä and the Savo Brigade in Mikkeli will be disbanded in 2007. At the same time Kotka Coastal Command will be disbanded and its duties will be taken over by other units.
Contents |
Military branches
- Finnish Army (Maavoimat)
- Finnish Navy (Merivoimat)
- Finnish Air Force (Ilmavoimat)
The Frontier Guard (Rajavartiolaitos) is under the Ministry of the Interior but can be incorporated into the Defence Forces when required by defence readiness.
Military Ranks
| Army and Air Force Officer Ranks | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Finnish | Swedish | English | German |
| Kenraali | General | General | General |
| Kenraaliluutnantti | Generallöjtnant | Lieutenant General | Generalleutnant |
| Kenraalimajuri | Generalmajor | Major General | Generalmajor |
| Prikaatikenraali | Brigadgeneral | Brigadier General | Brigadegeneral |
| Eversti | Överste | Colonel | Oberst |
| Everstiluutnantti | Överstelöjtnant | Lieutenant Colonel | Oberstleutnant |
| Majuri | Major | Major | Major |
| Kapteeni | Kapten | Captain | Hauptmann |
| Yliluutnantti | Premiärlöjtnant | Senior Lieutenant | Oberleutnant |
| Luutnantti | Löjtnant | Lieutenant | Leutnant |
| Vänrikki | Fänrik | Second Lieutenant | Fähnrich |
| Navy Officer Ranks | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Finnish | Swedish | English | |
| Amiraali | Admiral | Admiral | |
| Vara-amiraali | Viceadmiral | Vice Admiral | |
| Kontra-amiraali | Konteradmiral | Rear Admiral | |
| Lippueamiraali | Flottiljadmiral | Commodore | |
| Kommodori | Kommodor | Captain | |
| Komentaja | Kommendör | Commander | |
| Komentajakapteeni | Kommendörkapten | Lieutenant Commander | |
| Kapteeniluutnantti | Kaptenlöjtnant | Lieutenant, Senior Grade | |
| Yliluutnantti | Premiärlöjtnant | Lieutenant | |
| Luutnantti | Löjtnant | Lieutenant, Junior Grade | |
| Aliluutnantti | Underlöjtnant | Sub-Lieutenant | |
| Army and Air Force Enlisted Ranks | ||
|---|---|---|
| Finnish | Swedish | English |
| Sotilasmestari(*) | Militärmästare | Chief Warrant Officer |
| Vääpeli(*) | Fältväbel | Warrant Officer |
| Ylikersantti | Översergeant | Staff Sergeant |
| Kersantti | Sergeant | Sergeant |
| Alikersantti | Undersergeant | Corporal |
| Korpraali | Korpral | Lance Corporal |
| Sotamies | Soldat | Private |
| Navy Enlisted Ranks | ||
|---|---|---|
| Finnish | Swedish | English |
| Sotilasmestari | Militärmästare | Chief Warrant Officer |
| Pursimies | Båtsman | Chief Petty Officer |
| Ylikersantti | Översergeant | Petty Officer 1st Class |
| Kersantti | Sergeant | Petty Officer 2nd Class |
| Alikersantti | Undersergeant | Petty Officer 3rd Class |
| Ylimatruusi | Övermatros | Able Seaman |
| Matruusi | Matros | Seaman |
The rank of sotamies is not actually given to new recruits anymore, although it was used earlier. The lowest rank is given according to specialization; in the infantry the rank is jääkäri (Jaeger), artillery has tykkimies (artilleryman), communications has viestimies (signaller), Guard Jaeger Regiment has kaartinjääkäri, and so on. Generally file and rank may be referred to as sotamiehet.
Obsolete ranks include: ylivääpeli/överfältväbel (a rank between Chief Warrant Officer and Warrant Officer), kornetti (Second Lieutenant in the cavalry), ratsumestari (a cavalry Captain), prikaatinkenraali (old form for prikaatikenraali) and lentomestari.
- Semi-obsolete ranks include those of warrant officers (vääpeli, sotilasmestari), as since training of full-time employed NCOs ended in 2001, and those who have recently graduated from the NCO academy usually hold the rank of a Second Lieutenant or a Lieutenant. Those who hold the ranks of vääpeli or sotilasmestari are soon to be retired or have been promoted to Second Lieutenant or a Lieutenant to do away with the obsolete ranks. 2001 onwards, the National Defence College train all new commissioned officers . These obsolete ranks are still used for NCOs in the reserve. The highest attainable rank for conscripts at the end of their mandatory service are lance corporal (file and rank), sergeant (NCOs) and second lieutenant/vänrikki (automatic promotion for officer "students", in practise the most senior NCO conscripts).
Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim is the only person to have held the title of Sotamarsalkka/Fältmarskalk (Field Marshal) and later Suomen marsalkka/Marskalk av Finland (Marshal of Finland). Note that both Sotamarsalkka and Suomen marsalkka were officially not military ranks, but rather honorary titles. In practice Sotamarsalkka was treated as a rank, and it had a distinctive rank insignia. As Suomen marsalkka Mannerheim continued to wear the insignia of sotamarsalkka.
History
The autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland had its of standing army and its own system of conscription. The Guard of Finland fought alongside the imperial army in several of Russias wars. Russification efforts after 1899 resulted in dodging of the draft and later in the abolishment of conscription.
During World War I Finnish volunteers secretly joined the Imperial German army to receive military traning. These Finnish Jäger troops arrived in February 1918 in the white capital city of Vaasa and formed the core of the White Army in the Finnish Civil War.
The Russian revolutions had caused the creation of Red and White Guards in Finland. On January 25, 1918 the White Guard were declared to be the official troops of the white government. This marks the formation of the armed forces of the independent Finland.
After the Finnish Civil War the armed forces were organised according to the German system. In February 1919 the White Guard separated from the armed forces and became an independent organisation.
Restrictions on armaments
The Paris Peace Treaty after the Continuation War limited the strength of the Finnish Army to 34,400 men, the Navy to 4,500 men and the maximum displacement of ships in the navy to 10,000 tonnes. The Air Force was limited to 3,000 men and 60 planes. Also certain weapons such as guided missiles, submarines, proximity mines, torpedo boats, bombers with internal bomb racks and any weapons of German origin were forbidden. Later "defensive" missiles were allowed. All of the restrictions, except for the ban on nuclear weapons, were unilaterally lifted by president Mauno Koivisto after the breakup of the Soviet Union.
UN peacekeeping operations
Finland has taken part in UN peacekeeping operations since 1956, resulting in total of 43,000 Finnish peacekeepers during that time. In 2003 over a thousand Finnish peacekeepers were involved in UN operations. According to the Finnish law the maximum simultaneous strength of the peacekeeping forces is 2000 soldiers.
Since 1996 the Pori brigade has trained a special jaeger battalion, the Finnish Rapid Deployment Force (FRDF), which can take part in crisis management operations at short notice.
Finnish participation in UN peacekeeping operations as of June 2004:
- KFOR in Kosovo (700)
- UNMIK in Kosovo (2) + civilians (policemen)
- UNFICYP in Cyprus (3)
- UNMIL in Liberia (2)
- UNTSO in Egypt, Israel, Lebanon and Syria (14)
- UNMEE in Ethiopia and Eritrea (207)
- ISAF in Afghanistan (60)
- UNMOGIP in India and Pakistan (45) + 70 civilians
- UNMOP in Montenegro has ended December 15 2002.
Source: http://tietokannat.mil.fi/rauhanturvaajat/ops.php3
See also : Finland, Finnish Jäger troops, White Guards, List of senior officers