NATO Upgrades Deterrence and Defence,Develops Strategies to Deal With Contingencies - plus Finland's Key Role in NATO Land Forces

According to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg:Allies have agreed the most comprehensive defence plans since the Cold War to deter and defend against global threats,including Russia.Our military planners are translating these plans into concrete requirements,identifying the forces needed to defend us.Allies are offering forces to NATO's command at a scale not seen in decades.Today we have 500,000 troops at high readiness across all domains-significantly more than was set out at the 2022 Madrid Summit.NATO has also doubled the number of battle groups in the Eastern Flank.Allies are also taking on larger,more demanding exercises to test our capabilities.The many threats we face demand significant capability requirements from Allies in areas such as weapons and ammunition;air and missile defence;logisitics;and long-range weapons. Over the next five years,NATO Allies across Europe and Canada plan to acquire thousands of air defence and artillery systems;850 modern aircraft,including fifth generation F-35 Joint Strike Fighters;and also many other high-end capabilties.We have also invested in more innovation,including one millon in the NATO Innovation Fund...We also discussed the ongoing adaptation of our nuclear capabilities.We are a nuclear Alliance committed to being responsible and transparent,but clear in our resolve to preserve peace;prevent coercion;and deter aggression...Many Allies have already expelled a large number of Russian intelligence operatives.This is considered necessary to counter the hostile actions that Russia is accountable for.And there's a pattern here,an intensified campaign by Russia to conduct hostile actions:sabotage;arson;cyber attacks against NATO Allies.There have been several arrests across the Alliance:in the UK,Poland,Germany and in the Baltic countries-all people who have been accused of working with the Russian intelligence services to conduct sabotage against infrastructure and other facilities in our countries.Restriction of the movement of Russian intelligence officers has already been imposed,but we are welcoming further such actions by Allies.The South is of course important to NATO.NATO has the ability to pivot in any direction that is needed.And that is why I have asked for and established a group of experts that presented their report on how NATO can utilise the opportunities in our Southern neighbourhood;and also address some of the challenges we face there,at least in Africa.This report is part of something we are addressing at NATO,and I am sure it will lead to decisions,conclusions by Allies to further strengthen our approach to the challenges that we see in our Southern neighbourhood.NATO has a presence-we have a training mission in Iraq.We have Partnerships with Mauritania;with Iraq;with Tunisia and others;but of course we can do more.I think it's important to remember,when we are investing in new military capabilities,that it's also relevant to the South.*Moreover,according to the Reuters news agency,Finland will host a new land command unit of the NATO Alliance,Finnish Defence Minister Anti Hakkanen told reporters in Brussels on 13 June 2024.Said Hakkanen:I'm pleased to state today that all NATO member states have given their political consent to Finland's key goals in its NATO integration.Finland will host a NATO command and there will be land force presence in Finland.*According to Hakkanen,the NATO land command will be tasked with directing land warfare operations in Northern Europe and Scandanavia.He declined to specify the location of the command or how many NATO troops could be posted to Finland,as planning was still ongoing.*Under NATO's new command structure,all Nordic countries are under Joint Forces Command,Norfolk,Virginia,which are in charge of North Atlantic defence.*Said Hakkanen:With these decisions,the security of Finland and,at the same time,the security of Northern Europe is strengthened,and they significantly benefit the security of the entire Alliance.*

Immediate Response 24:Complex Drills Develop Warfighting Acumen

According to a press release by U.S. Army Europe and Africa (USAEA),on 30 April 2024,around 1600 U.S. Army Soldiers and more than 200 pieces of their equipment started a 900 km/559.2 mi tactical road march from Narvik,Norway to Rovajarvi,Finland,marking the commencement of Exercise Immediate Response 24.Transiting through Norway,Sweden and Finland,troops from 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team,10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) out of Fort Johnson,Louisiana traveled to Finland to conduct multinational drills as part of Immediate Response 24,the Finnish national exercise Northern Forest 24,and NATO's Steadfast Defender.Said MG Greg Anderson,commanding general of 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry):The 10th Mountain Division's storied past shows a proud connection with the Finnish Army and this region.We are eager and excited to be able to train and learn from our Nordic Allies,and look forward to developing joint and combined warfighting excellence and capabilities,both today and in the years to come.*Immediate Response ran through 31 May 2024,involving more than 10,400 U.S. service members from more than 12 Allied and Partner nations.Finland's Northern Forest 24 ran from 26 May to 31 May 2024.Said LTG Pasi Valinaki,commander Finnish Army:It's a valuable training opportunity to be able to connect Immediate Response 24 to the Finnish Army's Northern Forest 24 exercise.A successful logistical exercise through Norway and Sweden,as well as logisitical support by the Finnish Defence Force's Logistics Command,is proof of our collective ability to receive transatlantic reinforcement of Allied troops and the ability of NATO to project land power anytime,anywhere.Furthermore,training with 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team is a logical step in developing a relationship with 10th Mountain Division.This exercise further develops our combined warfighting capabilities in the North.*The tactical road march represents a milestone moment for the drills with NATO's newest members,Sweden and Finland,as well as several firsts,including the use of seaports in Narvik and Kalundborg;a rail guage change;and the deployment of a light Brigade Combat Team in the Nordic Region.*Immediate Response 24,one of three subexercises of DEFENDER 24,includes the deployment of continental U.S.-based forces;Army prepositioned stock draws;live-fire drills;wet gap crossings;and interoperability training with Allies and Partners in Czechia,Estonia,Finland,Germany,Norway,Poland and Sweden.

Warfighting:Sweden's Integration into NATO Provides New Opportunities

According to Sweden's Minister of Defence Pal Johnson:Going into an Alliance is of course a big change.Policywise it's a big change;mentally it's a big change.And we have to remember we're not necessarily going to be defending Sweden from inside Sweden,but from a distance,and we're going to be doing it as a solidaric Ally.*For the first time,according to RDL Jens Nykvist,Deputy Chief of Defence Staff,NATO can craft a unified defence of the Nordic Region.Sweden brings more than 100 years of experience operating submarines in the Baltic Sea Region,doorway to Russia's largest port,St.Petersburg.*Defence Minister Jonson added:This is a direct consequence of Russia's illegal,unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine.This is the mother of all unintended consequences for Russian strategic thinking.*The Swedish Armed Forces have only 25,000 troops under arms.Yet Sweden can offer its territory to NATO for deterrence and defence,a base and staging area for NATO forces.For example,Sweden has entered into a Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) with the US,allowing the US the privilege to deploy troops to Swedish military bases.This can help shape the regional environment for preventing Russia's efforts for potential conflict,and for response to Russian incursions.According to RDL Nykvist:Some people tried to say Sweden and Finland now being part of NATO makes the Baltic a NATO lake.I would say it's not...because we have the Russian bases (in Kaliningrad).*Sweden's Chief of Staff GEN Micael Byden said:I'm sure that Putin even has both eyes on Gotland (Sweden's central island).Putin's goal is to take control of the Baltic Sea Region.If Russia controls and seals off the Baltic Sea,it would have an enormous impact on our lives-in Sweden and in all countries bordering the Baltic Sea.We can't allow it (Note:Gotland has been highly militarised by Sweden to act as a bulwark against Russian incursions).*RDL Nykvist expalined that increased commercial shipping and underwater infrastructure like cables and pipelines are making Baltic Sea operations more complicated (Note:The Royal Swedish Navy is developing a new class of submarines designed for detecting undersea sabotage.The two new A26 Blekinge-class boats will have a large airlock from which to deploy divers and Unmanned Underwater Vehicles).There's a lot of density of traffic.It's 4,000 ships moving around every given minute in this region.It's coming from St.Petersburg area and going out and back.That's one of the main routes for Russia regarding oil and energy products.I would claim unique assets and capabilities when it comes to operating in the Baltic Sea.We've been working for decades with our submarines;on the surface with our surface combatants.*

Russia Steps Up Probing of Nordic-Baltic Region - four NATO Allies respond in one day

US Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work took Russia to task for its recent behaviour in the Nordic-Baltic Region at a press conference following a meeting with eight delegates from the region on 7 October 2016.Finland said two Russian Su-27 Flanker fighter jets violated its airspace on separate occasions in the Gulf of Finland south of Porvoo that same day.Russian military aviation over the Baltic Sea has been intense,Finland noted;while Iceland had complained that two Russian Tu-160 Blackjack bombers flew too close to civilian airliners,flying between 1800-2700 meters/6,000-9,000 feet below a flight from Reykjavik,Iceland to Stockholm,Sweden.
There is absolutely no justification for it,Secretary Work said.Regardless of the timing,regardless of the circumstances,these are unsatisfactory manoeuvres that are unsafe and unprofessional.Hopefully we'll be able to see a moderation in them to avoid an accident or a tragic occurrence.Unfortunately,these are becoming the norm rather than the exception.*
Attending the US-Nordic-Baltic forum were Denmark,Estonia,Finland,Iceland,Latvia,Lithuania,Norway and Sweden.The forum dealt with regional security issues such as Russian behaviour in the Baltic Sea and ways to increase defence cooperation-including in the War On ISIL.*
Preceding the forum,the French Ministry of Defence revealed that,on 22 September 2016,four NATO Allies had scrambled fighter jets to intercept two Russian Tu-160 Blackjack bombers:
1.The extraordinary chase began when Norway scrambled two F-16 Fighting Falcons to escort the Blackjacks towards the north of Scotland.
2.The British sent Typhoons from RAF Lossiemouth to intercept the Russian bombers and shadow them around the west of Scotland and Ireland.As a precaution,more Typhoons were scrambled from RAF Coningsly in Lincolnsire,but didn't intercept the Blackjacks in the end.
3.Two French Rafale fighters then intercepted the Russians 100 km off the Britanny coast.Two other Rafales took over as the bombers headed south.
4.Finally,two Spanish F-18s shadowed the Blackjacks north of Bilbao,at which point the Russians turned around and flew home.*
Russia has also deployed its Iskander-M mobile nuclear-capable missile system to its territory of Kaliningrad on the Baltic coast,which is wedged between Poland and Lithuania.Poland said this was very alarming and of the highest concern;but Russia insists it is only an exercise and has been done before.