NATO does not yet plan to station combat groups in Finland — given the countryʼs great capabilities and experience in defending its own territory and in the absence of a need.
This is reported by Bloomberg with reference to the words of politicians who are familiar with the situation.
NATO has already established eight multinational battle groups in Poland and the Baltic states, and more recently in Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Romania. These battlegroups will also be able to scale to brigade size where and when needed. However, there are currently no plans to deploy a NATO battle group in Finland, the representative of the alliance said. At the same time, NATOʼs Supreme Allied Commander constantly assesses threats and can make such a recommendation if he deems it necessary.
The senior official also said that the Americans did not expect to see the battle group in Finland and that the country did not make such a request.
NATOʼs supreme commander in Europe General Chris Cavoli is currently drafting the allianceʼs regional plans, due to be sent to allies this month, which will outline where countries need to commit forces to defend the alliance.
According to a NATO representative, Finlandʼs armed forces, which can deploy 280 000 troops in wartime, have long been trained to defend their territory from attack and already have their own combat-ready combat groups. Finland is more likely to contribute troops to other existing battle groups, the official added. Finland still needs to invest to get its army and air force in shape for deployment abroad across the alliance, which will require logistics and support forces, as well as training.
- On April 4, 2023, Finland officially became the thirty-first member of NATO. Neighboring Sweden has also applied for membership, but its entry is blocked by Hungary and Turkey, and discussions are still ongoing.