Finnish, French Armies strengthen cooperation on training, exercises

The French and Finnish Armies are strengthening their long cooperation on training, exercises and operations, said Finnish Defence Forces in a press release on Wednesday.

The 27th Mountain Infantry Battalion, which is trained to operate in winter conditions, will maintain a company-group with the Jaeger Brigade in Northern Finland until May.

During Exercise Cold Response 26, Lieutenant General Pasi Välimäki, Commander of the Finnish Army, was made an officer in the French order of the Légion d’Honneur (Legion of Honour), for his commitment to French-Finnish bilateral cooperation. Created by Napoléon, it is the highest order in France.

The Armies of France and Finland have a long and good experience on cooperation training, exercises and operations. This cooperation allows French and Finnish armies to bolster their interoperability and to strengthen their ties.

Since 2017, The Finnish Army deploys a company in the French battalion of the UNIFIL operation in Lebanon. It has been an excellent example of working as an integrated force.

During ongoing Exercise Cold Response 26, the French army has been deploying a battalion-size unit, reinforced by an Italian company under the command of the FIN Jaeger Brigade.

In the same time, France is also deploying a battalion on an amphibious assault ship in northern Norway.

“This deployment will allow our two armies to get to know each other better and to prepare for future operations together. Our cooperation has only strengthened and deepened after Finland joined NATO. Training and exercises give us the opportunity to learn from each other. Exercise Cold Response 26 strengthens our ability to operate in the High North and demonstrate our commitment to the security of NATO,” said Lieutenant General Patrick Justel, the Deputy Commander of The French Army.

During the spring, the troops will use Finnish equipment, as in Exercise Nordic Response 24.

“Cold Response 26 is the perfect place to train and exercise operations in the North which the French forces has done also previously but now in Finland along Italian, Swedish, US and Finnish troops. Learning from each other makes us stronger together,” said Lieutenant General Pasi Välimäki, the Commander of The Finnish Army.

This partnership with Nordic Allies during the winter and possibly summer months, requires specific training and equipment. This also allows the French Army to react very quickly and to deploy wherever the protection of national interests is needed and the integrity of their Allies is threatened, the press release added.