NATO to Establish Northern Land Command in Eastern Finland

NATO plans to set up a new land command in Finland near the Russian border in 2025, to lead land force operations in northern Europe during potential military conflicts. Finland, which joined NATO last year after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, is preparing for the alliance’s presence on its territory. Finnish Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen announced the proposal to establish the command at Finland’s Army Headquarters in Mikkeli. The center, named the Multi Corps Land Component Command, will work under NATO’s U.S.-based Norfolk Joint Force Command and Finland’s own land force command.

Budget and Personnel

Initially, the unit will operate with an annual budget of €8.5 million ($9.5 million) and consist of a few dozen international officials.

Collaboration with Sweden and Drills

Finland and Sweden, which also joined NATO this year, agreed that Sweden would coordinate visits of foreign NATO troops and international drills in northern Finland. However, Finland is not planning to host a permanent multinational force similar to those in the Baltic states, due to the strength of its own forces.

Operational Scope

The geographic scope of the new unit will be finalized later, but it will oversee land force operations planning in the Nordic region.

NATO: Key Points

Full Name: North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Established: 1949, after World War II.

Purpose: Collective defense; an attack on one member is considered an attack on all (Article 5 of the NATO treaty).

Members: 31 countries (as of 2023), including the U.S., Canada, and most European nations.

Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium.

Military Structure: Unified military command, led by a Supreme Allied Commander, typically a U.S. general.

Recent Expansion: Finland and Sweden applied for membership in 2022; Finland joined in 2023.

Key Operations: Includes peacekeeping missions, crisis management, counterterrorism, and cyber defense.

Main Command Structures: Allied Command Operations (Belgium) and Allied Command Transformation (U.S.).

Defense Spending: Members commit to spending 2% of GDP on defense (target).