Finland could be invited to NATO military exercises in coming years

Separate Partnership for Peace exercises to be scrapped

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NATO is planning to give up separate military exercises for countries like Finland that are part of the Partnership for Peace programme.
      To save on costs, NATO plans to hold joint manoeuvres involving both NATO member states and PFP countries.
      "NATO is overworked, but underfunded", said Admiral Rainer Feist, Deputy Commander of NATO’s European forces, at a seminar held in Helsinki on Thursday. The event was arranged by Finland’s Atlantic Council and the Security Forum.
      The issue is expected to come up at the NATO summit in Istanbul in June.
     
Taking part in NATO exercises would not be a very dramatic change for Finland; NATO forces already take part in exercises involving PFP countries, and the Finnish government and President decide on participation in each individual case.
      Problems could only arise if the Finns were called to take part in an assault, or if the exercise involved practice for activities that are not part of crisis management.
      Such problems can be circumvented. This year Finnish helicopters took part in exercises in which the NATO forces were marked as red and blue. The Finnish helicopters were violet, and did not take part in aggressive action.
     
Another potential problem is political. Especially the Left Alliance opposes any hints of closer cooperation with NATO, seeing it as a slippery slope toward eventual NATO membership.
      The Finnish defence establishment sees common exercises as a step in the right direction.
      "Not all NATO exercises are very interesting for Finland, because they were designed for less developed PFP countries", says one Finnish civil servant.
      Admiral Feist says that Finland and Sweden could also allow their forces to be used in NATO rapid action operations when those forces are involved in crisis management activities.
      "If the operation involves NATO’s Article 5 (concerning the common defence), Finland would probably not take part. However, if the question is one of crisis management, then why not?", Feist suggested.
      The rapid reaction forces for NATO and the EU are still in the planning stages. NATO’s plans are for brigades of about 5,000 soldiers, which could be sent to crisis areas at 5 - 30 days’ notice. The EU’s plans are for smaller, less heavily-armed forces, which Finland would also participate in.
     
Feist, a German, feels that NATO’s greatest problem is in the growing gap in military technology between the United States and Europe.
      He says that if Europe does not develop its military forces, the US will no longer treat Europe as a partner, choosing instead to pick the countries it wants to take part in a "coalition of the willing".
      He also said that he sees the EU’s own military forces as partners rather than competitors of NATO.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Finnish special forces could be used in NATO operations (7.4.2004)
  US Senator Richard Lugar says NATO membership would be good for Finland and NATO (13.4.2004)

Helsingin Sanomat