On March 4, the NATO Nordic Response 2024 exercises begin, in which Finland will participate for the first time as a full member of the Alliance.
Finland participates in NATO exercises
The Norwegian-led Nordic Response 2024 military exercise will begin on Monday in Finland, Sweden and Norway.
This is reported by Yle .
The 12-day exercise is significant for Finland because, in addition to being the largest exercise in which the Finnish Defense Forces have ever joined abroad, it is also the first time that Finland will practice the Alliance's collective defense as a NATO member, says the messages
The Nordic Response exercise includes land, sea and air exercises involving around 20,000 participants from 14 countries, including 4,100 Finnish soldiers.
Alexander Stubb, who was sworn in as Finland's president on Friday, said he would make his first foreign visit on March 7 to inspect exercises in Norway.
If someone had told me two years ago that the President of Finland would make his first working visit to a NATO exercise a week after his inauguration, I would not have believed it.
Alexander Stubb
President of Finland
More than 100 aircraft from Finland, Sweden, Norway and other NATO countries are taking part in the exercises, including fighter jets, refuelers, transport and reconnaissance aircraft, as well as various helicopters.
What is known about NATO's large-scale military exercises
The exercises will be aimed at working out collective defense measures and more than 20,000 servicemen will take part in them. They will be held in the north of Norway, Sweden and Finland, as well as in the air and sea spaces of the countries.
On the ground, thousands of soldiers will practice the defense and security of the countries of Northern Europe with the help of various artillery systems, tanks, tracked vehicles and other ground vehicles. More than 100 fighter jets, transport aircraft, maritime surveillance aircraft, as well as helicopters and special purpose aircraft of the Alliance members will operate in the air. More than 50 submarines, frigates, corvettes, aircraft carriers and various amphibious ships will be deployed at sea.
Joint exercises are aimed at the defense and protection of the Northern region.
We must be able to fight back and stop anyone who tries to test our borders, values and democracy - with the current security situation in Europe, these exercises are extremely relevant and important than ever before, - said the commander of the Norwegian Air Operations Center, Royal Norwegian Air Force , Brigadier General Throne Strand.
