Finnish Defence Forces

Finnish Defence Forces
Puolustusvoimat (Finnish)
Försvarsmakten (Swedish)
Emblem of the Finnish Defence Forces
Military flag of Finland
Founded25 January 1918; 106 years ago (1918-01-25)
Service branches
WebsiteOfficial website
Leadership
President Alexander Stubb
Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen
Chief of Defence General Janne Jaakkola
Personnel
Military age18
Conscription165, 255, or 347 days term
Available for
military service		1,155,368 males, age 16–49 (2010 est.),
1,106,193 females, age 16–49 (2010 est.)
Fit for
military service		955,151 males, age 16–49 (2010 est.),
912,983 females, age 16–49 (2010 est.)
Reaching military
age annually		32,599 males (2010 est.),
31,416 females (2010 est.)
Active personnel24,000 (2023), 280,000 (wartime)[1]
Reserve personnel870,000[2]
Deployed personnel486[3]
Expenditure
Budget€6.2 billion (2024)
Percent of GDP2.3% (2024)[4]
Industry
Domestic suppliers
Foreign suppliers
Annual exports€133 million (2016)[6]
Related articles
RanksFinnish military ranks
Björneborgarnas marsch (MID)
"March of the Björneborgers" or "March of the Pori Regiment" from the 19th century; known as the military anthem of the Finnish Defence Force
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The Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) (Finnish: Puolustusvoimat, Swedish: Försvarsmakten) are the military of Finland. The Finnish Defence Forces consist of the Finnish Army, the Finnish Navy, and the Finnish Air Force. In wartime, the Finnish Border Guard becomes part of the Finnish Defence Forces.

Universal male conscription is in place, under which all mentally and physically capable men serve for 165, 255, or 347 days, from the year they turn 18 until the year they turn 29. Alternative non-military service for men and voluntary service for women is available.

Finland's official policy states that a wartime military strength of 280,000[1] personnel constitutes a sufficient deterrent. The army consists of a highly mobile field army backed up by local defence units. The army defends the national territory and its military strategy employs the use of the heavily forested terrain and numerous lakes to wear down an aggressor, instead of attempting to hold the attacking army on the frontier.

Finland's defence budget for 2022 equals approximately €5.8 billion. The voluntary overseas service is highly popular and troops serve around the world in UN, NATO, and EU missions. With an arsenal of 700 howitzers, 700 heavy mortars and 100 multiple rocket launchers, Finland has the largest artillery capability in western Europe.[7] Homeland defence willingness against a superior enemy is at 83%, one of the highest rates in Europe.[8] The air force has 62 F/A-18 combat aircraft from 1995, to be replaced with 64 F-35 aircraft in 2026 by the HX Fighter Program.

The Finnish Defence Forces cooperate closely with the Finnish Border Guard.[9][10] The Finnish Border Guard has its own yearly and long-term investment budget.

  1. ^ a b "Finland to raise wartime strength to 280,000 troops". 17 February 2017.
  2. ^ "Reservissä".
  3. ^ "Global Exchange of Information on Defence Planning 2019" (PDF). Puolustusvoimat.fi. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  4. ^ "Defence budget for 2024 invests in strengthening defence capability, membership in NATO and supporting Ukraine" (in Finnish). Valtioneuvosto. 20 September 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  5. ^ Egozi, Arie (26 October 2011). "Finland extends unmanned systems evaluation". Flightglobal.
  6. ^ "Annual Report According to the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports" (PDF). Defmin.fi. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  7. ^ "Suomella on järisyttävän suuri ja kadehdittu tykistö".
  8. ^ "Maanpuolustustahto" (in Finnish). Yle. 18 May 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  9. ^ "National defence and military service". The Finnish Border Guard. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  10. ^ "Border surveillance - Ministry of the Interior". Sisäministeriö. Retrieved 2022-06-30.