Local defence exercises strengthen common security

The Army will be training local defence across Finland from September 2 to 9, said Finnish Defence Forces in a press release.

The exercises will improve local troops’ readiness to carry out local combat and protection tasks and strengthen the authorities’ abilities to cooperate in situations of disruption everywhere in the country.

The series of exercises directed by the Army Command will include six exercises in different parts of the country. About 6000 persons from the Defence Forces will take part in the exercises.

In addition to the Defence Forces’ reservists, conscripts and regular personnel, officials of cities, police, rescue services and the social affairs and health sector, actors in voluntary national defence as well as companies in the industry and energy sectors will be involved in the exercises.

Local security is built on common preparedness and training. In local defence exercises, the Defence Forces’ local units train together with agencies and companies in the area in order to be prepared for any event of disturbance.

The purpose of the training consists in being able to secure the vital functions of society, including traffic connections, energy supplies and operation of data networks, and preventing disturbances from spreading any further.

The objective of the training is to ensure that the everyday life of the people living in the area remains as normal as possible in all situations and that, where necessary, they get instructions for what to do in case of disturbance.

“In local defence exercises, we develop leadership, information exhange and situation picture with other authorities and practise cooperation for eventual disturbances. This autumn, the exercises include, for example, themes related to civil defence,” said Deputy Chief of Staff, Army Operations, Brigadier General Tero Ylitalo.

Local units strengthen the Defence Forces’ readiness and capability across the territory. In emergency conditions, the tasks of local units include protection of strategic infrastructure, surveillance in the area and operating against the adversary’s special units.

In addition to the Defence Forces’ service personnel, active reservists who know their area well and want to get better at their wartime task are also placed in local units.

“The reservists operating in local units are an important asset for us. In local defence exercises, they get to train their wartime task as a part of a larger unit and advance progressively in it,” Ylitalo said.