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The 'Finnish Army' (Finnish: ''Maavoimat'', Swedish: ''Armén'') is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces.

Contents

Army branches

History of the Finnish Army

Organization

Wartime organization

Equipment

War-time strength

Major weapon systems used by the army

References

See also

Army branches

The Army is further divided into six branches:

★ infantry

★ field artillery

★ anti-aircraft artillery

★ engineers

★ signals

★ materiel

History of the Finnish Army

Between 1809 and 1917 Finland was an autonomous part of the Russian Empire as the Grand Duchy of Finland. Between 1881 and 1901 the Grand Duchy had its own army. Before that several other military units had also been formed while Finland belonged to Sweden.
The Grand Duchy inherited its allotment system (''ruotujakolaitos'') from the Swedish military organization. However, for several decades, Russian rulers did not require military service from Finland - operations and defence were mostly taken care by Russian troops based in the Grand Duchy. As a result, officer benefits of the allotment system became practically pensions, as payment was based on passive availability, not on actual service.
The Finnish lantdag made a pact with Tsar Alexander I; Finland paid a tax to Russia as compensation and military service was not called. This lasted until the Crimean War, 1854, during and after which Finland set up some sharpshooter battalions based on rote system. These participated on the Russian side in the Napoleonic Wars, the Crimean War, Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878), Russo-Japanese War and World War I.
At the turn of the 20th century, the Russian empire was weakening, and this was reflected in a reduced capacity of the Russian troops to keep public order. Voluntary defence organizations disguised as fire brigades were formed by the Finnish people. There were socialist Red Guards and conservative, anti-socialist Protection Guards (or White Guards). Also, activists secretly travelled to Germany to receive military training and became elite Jaeger troops (''jääkärit''). After independence, the government declared the Whites government troops, and the Finnish Civil War was fought between the Reds, assisted by Communist Russians, and White Guards added with the Jaegers and assisted by the German empire. After the war in 1919, the Protection Guards became a separate organization. Therefore, strictly speaking, there is no continuity between the White Guards, which became a voluntary organization, and the Finnish army, which was a cadre army based on conscription. However, Jaegers gained important positions in the army, and German tactics and military principles were adopted.

Organization

The Army is organised into three commands: western, eastern and northern. The
commands are responsible for the defence and planning in their areas. The commands are further divided into twelve military provinces which are responsible for conscription, mustering of troops in wartime, organizing the local defence and aiding the voluntary defence organizations. The Army is commanded by Ilkka Aspara, who succeeded Olli-Matti Multamäki on January 1 2007.
'Western Command'
:Guard Jaeger Regiment (Helsinki)
:Armoured Brigade (Parola)
:Häme Regiment (Lahti)
:Signals Regiment (Riihimäki)
:Pori Brigade (Säkylä) (Readiness brigade)
:Artillery Brigade (Niinisalo)
:Engineer Regiment (Keuruu)
'Eastern Command'
:Karelia Brigade (Vekaranjärvi) (Readiness brigade)
:Reserve Officer School (Hamina)
:North Karelia Brigade (Kontiolahti)
'Northern Command'
:Kainuu Brigade (Kajaani) (Readiness brigade)
:Jaeger Brigade (Sodankylä)
:Lapland Air Defence Regiment (Rovaniemi)
The Utti Jaeger Regiment which trains Para Jägers and Special Jaegers is directly under the Defence Staff. Since 1998 the Uusimaa Brigade is part of the Finnish Navy.

Wartime organization

In wartime, the army is composed of Jaeger, Infantry and Armoured Brigades. Jaeger and infantry brigades serve different wartime purposes, jaegers being more mobile while infantry brigades being equipped with heavier (and often older) equipment. Three of the Jaeger brigades are special Readiness brigades with rapid reaction capability. They are lighter, more mobile and more heavily armed than the ordinary jaeger brigades, and have a higher proportion of regular to reservist personnel; there is one readiness brigade for each of Finland's 3 territorial commands.

Equipment

War-time strength

★ 3 Readiness Brigades (Jaeger Brigade 2005 type)

★ 1 Armoured Brigade

★ 4 Jaeger Brigades (Jaeger Brigade 91 type)

★ 2 Mechanized Battle Groups

★ 1 Helicopter Battalion

★ 7 Infantry Brigades (Infantry Brigade 80 type)

★ 29 Independent Battalions and Battle Groups

★ 170 Local Defence Groups

Major weapon systems used by the army

★ 124 MBTs

★ 392 IFVs

★ 270 APCs (tracked)

★ 424 APCs (wheeled)

★ 2,058 mortars

★ 684 artillery pieces (towed)

★ 90 artillery pieces (self-propelled)

★ 58 MRLS

★ 13 Helicopters

★ 11 UAVs

References

See also

★ Military of the Grand Duchy of Finland

★ Finnish Army (1939)

★ Ski warfare