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Dear participants in the 254th National Defence Course, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
National defence courses are one of the basic pillars of our comprehensive security. If national defence courses did not exist, we would have to invent them. While the concept might look different in today’s fast-paced world, I am sure the core elements would stay the same.
The value of the course lies in its content and its participants. You will learn from your teachers and the presenters, but also from each other. As a result, the network of our comprehensive security will get stronger.
Behind this Finnish institution are countless contributors who deserve our praise. In this context, I would like to make a special point of thanking the Chair of the Board of the National Defence Courses Association, Kari Kuusiniemi, whose term will end at the turn of the year. Kari is a skilled lawyer with a broad view of Finland’s affairs. He has led the association with distinction.
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During my current term of office, I have visited all service commands and a significant proportion of the units of the Defence Forces. I have visited exercises taking place in Finland and abroad.
I have also received regular briefings from the defence administration and other authorities on a variety of subjects. I am impressed by the professionalism, calmness and strength that emanate from all your work.
This is also the feedback I have received from our foreign partners. Without exception, they have strong confidence in Finland’s competence, cooperation and will. We can take satisfaction, and even pride, in this.
After some reflection, I am convinced that this is influenced by the experiences that stem from our history, our tradition of comprehensive security, our national unity, our general conscription and our ability to network and collaborate, often characteristic of a small nation, but in our case refined to perfection. In today’s world, these are unique strengths.
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Dear class participants and esteemed guests,
Today, I would like to examine two key areas: our security environment and how we are developing our defence to respond to it.
Our security environment is harsher than we would prefer. The emphasis on the issues of war and peace in world politics is not something we would have wished for. But it is a reality, and as Finland, we are prepared for it.
The assessment of our security environment begins with Russia, its objectives and the means it employs to pursue these objectives. One of these means is war, and, indeed, Russia is now in its fourth year of war in Ukraine. Ukraine is not only fighting for its own existence, but also for the whole of Europe and democracy, and it deserves our support in this endeavour.
During this time, it has become clear to me that when we support Ukraine, we also benefit in many ways. Ukraine has an unparalleled understanding of modern warfare, and we are learning a lot from them. Cooperation is a two-way street.
Russia does not pose an immediate military threat to us. By preparing, by developing our deterrence and defence, we aim to ensure that it will also not pose such a threat to us in the future.
The second factor shaping our security environment is the multidimensional nature of crises. New or increasingly wicked forms of hybrid influencing are challenging our society. Above all, we must take good care of our critical infrastructure. I refer to both physical and digital infrastructure. In addition, there is a third component of infrastructure, one that is equally important: the mental one. Mental infrastructure is the cognitive capital that we hold as individuals and as society; our crisis resilience and our unity.
The role that the economy and technology play in security has increased. It is clear that not all societal issues are matters of security, nor should we try to make them something they are not. At the same time, the truth is that different sectors are intertwined, and different countries are consciously pursuing their own interests ruthlessly through the coordinated use of their instruments of power.
The new reality has also brought a change to the logic of deterrence. Similarly, the strategic stability between the major powers is undergoing a transformation. We have moved on to a new nuclear age where, unfortunately, the role that nuclear weapons play has been increasing.
Other parts of the world also have a need to increase understanding, but perhaps for us, as Finland, this situation involves an unusually high number of new elements. How to build deterrence together, how to manage escalation. These are the things we used to think about on our own, as small Finland. Of course, the global situation was also different.
Now, we are involved in all key cooperation structures, and these pillars of our security continue to grow stronger: NATO, EU, Nordefco, JEF, the cooperation between Finland and Sweden. The European cooperation has intensified, and we have a strong interest in promoting it.
Our current era is also defined by a change in the role of the United States. At the military level, our bilateral cooperation with the United States is thriving. However, we cannot ignore the fact that the United States is turning its gaze partly elsewhere, and this change is here to stay.
We should remind ourselves that nostalgia is not a strategy. There is no going back.
In 2022, Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine took on forms that called to mind the armoured battles of the 1940s – some of them notably waged in the steppes of Ukraine. The mass warfare has also carried echoes of history.
At the same time, however, the war in Ukraine is different from its predecessors. The front line of the war has frozen almost like during the First World War, but in addition to people, the combatants now include autonomous weapons systems. A large proportion of the victims of war are Ukrainian civilians who suffer from the effects of Russia’s long-range weapons. We must learn from history, but must not remain captive by it.
Nor is wishful thinking a strategy. We must take the world as it is. At the same time, we need to understand what direction the world is heading towards and what kind of world this could be.
This brings me to what Finland is doing.
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Dear friends,
Thanks to the lessons learned from world wars, Finland has maintained its national defence capability throughout the decades. At the same time, we have been developing our international defence cooperation strategically ever since our fighter procurement in the 1990s. In the 2010s, this work gained new momentum in both bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
After two years of NATO membership and the rather recent Defence Report, one thing should be clear, but it still needs to be said: Finland’s defence solution has changed. We are building and maintaining our strong national defence capability as part of a common defence. This is a long process that, in addition to everything else, requires a cultural shift.
It is important that more resources have now been allocated to defence, enabling long-term development efforts. Increasing defence expenditure is difficult, especially in the current economic situation, but we have a clear view of why we have to make these investments. Peace and freedom come at a price.
Our strategic projects, which we have long been working towards, are approaching the finish line. Personally, I visited the Navy Command to hear about the commissioning of new corvettes. The massive fighter project of the Air Force is also progressing. We are replacing our F-18 fleet with 64 new F-35 fighters. We must not underestimate their importance in the interoperability and performance of our entire armed forces. Indeed, a former Chief of Staff r of the United States Air Force has said that the F-35 is a computer that happens to fly.
The decade of the Army is about to begin. The majority of the key materiel will be replaced by modern systems. Two weeks ago, I visited the Army Command in Mikkeli, where I received a comprehensive report on the modernisation of the Army. In addition to traditional domains , we are investing in cyber and space environments as well as autonomous systems.
Traditionally, materiel purchases receive most publicity, but this is a matter of strengthening and modernising the machinery as a whole: we need people, facilities, expertise and maintenance.
Balance is what counts. Defence relies on modern skills, but also on mass. Quality and quantity, we need both. We must not let our stockpiles run empty. We must also carve a balance between our present and future needs. We act now to prepare for today’s crises, but at the same time, we are also building a long-term defence that will respond to future threats.
In NATO terms, Finland’s actions are based on Article 3. Article 3 refers to the need for each member of the alliance to take care of its own defence. Similarly, we follow Article 5, which enables us to give and receive solidarity.
Finland’s integration into NATO is moving steadily forward, and the importance of international cooperation – whether multilateral or bilateral – has also increased in other areas. Finland’s NATO cooperation plays a key role in determining Finland’s external relations and international status.
In defence cooperation, Finland both gives and gains. Our allies’ security is also our own. A recent example is from last month, when Finland was quick to deploy the capabilities of the Finnish Defence Forces and the Border Guard to Denmark to support the measures to detect and counter drones. We are a producer of security.
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During my visits to the brigade units, it has become clear that Finland is taking care of its own defence. But this is also clear when we look at other countries’ interest in Finland.
Finland is interesting. This interest is related to issues such as our Arctic expertise, which others also want to learn from. The extent of international exercise activities in Finland is unprecedented. The troops of the United States and many other countries want to come to Finland and are benefiting from it, but we are also reaping benefits. We are learning things and get to demonstrate the strength of our close alliance relationships.
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When it comes to combating hybrid influence activities, we are doing relatively well, also internationally speaking, but this work will also never stop.
Recently, we have witnessed airspace violations, and there have been various drone sightings within European countries. We should keep in mind that we are partly talking about two different things.
We must react to Russian airspace violations immediately. Here in Finland, we comply with the Territorial Surveillance Act, have delegated powers to appropriate levels and communicate about incidents in accordance with an agreed plan. Our response is clear..
When drone sightings are made within countries, there is reason to apply a principle of calmness. We should first determine what has happened and then react. Here, cooperation between the authorities is crucial. The second point is that we, too, must keep building stronger and stronger counter-drone capabilities.
Drones are, in any case, the talk of the day. Their significance is growing, but we must not overestimate the role of any individual system. It is better to look at the broader picture: unmanned systems as a whole and the artificial intelligence that informs them. Artificial intelligence is a transformative agent, also in defence. Artificial intelligence and its application in both society and defence is a challenge that we in Finland must be able to turn into a strength. I noted with pleasure that the Defence Forces have begun cooperating here with the leading companies in this field.
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Finally, now that you are about to start your course and the weeks of hard work it entails, I would like to leave you with one takeaway.
During the course, you will hear lectures from the top experts of our country, from the authorities and ministries to professionals in science and culture. Make the most of what this course has to offer. At the same time, you are also the best experts in your fields. Make sure to invest in your conversations, learn from each other, and, together, form a network that will carry you throughout life, even at times of crises if need be.
As we have seen in the latest issue of The Economist, the Finnish model is admired around the world. Let us be proud, but never complacent. The model requires constant revision and development. Let’s keep a cool head and a warm heart. The essence of the Finnish model is calmness, preparedness and the will to defend. Let’s keep it up.
I wish you a fulfilling course.
