Finnish Defence Forces begin major structural change

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The Finnish Defence Forces are enacting a historical structural change. In addition to major reshuffles in the network of staff headquarters, garrisons, and armouries, there will be alterations in the whole command structure.
      For instance, the Finnish Army will become a separate branch of the Defence Forces under a single command, as is the case now with the Navy and Air Force.
      As a result of the changes, the functions performed by the Defence Forces will decrease by more than 1,000, bringing an estimated annual saving of about EUR 30 million.
      The planned changes were described in Helsinki on Monday by Lieutenant General Kari Rimpi of the Defence Staff.
     
The changes were prompted by the government’s recent report on national defence, and by the recent cost-cutting programme.
      Included is a reorganisation of the Defence Staff in such a way that it can focus on the overall development of the Defence Forces, and on the planning of joint operations of the different branches of the military.
      As a result, the number of personnel at the Defence Staff will decline by nearly half, to no more than 350 people.
      About 200 - 250 members of the present Defence Staff will be reassigned to other tasks.
      The new command system centre of the Defence Forces is to begin operations about a year and a half from now, and military surveillance is to be concentrated on a single institution.
     
The central command of the Army is to be concentrated on Mikkeli, where about 250 people will work from the beginning of 2008.
      The number of regional staff headquarters of the Army will decline by about half.
      The closure of the Savo Brigade will bring annual savings of about EUR 5 million. Another EUR 5 million should be saved by shutting down the Helsinki Air Defence Regiment.
     
Finland’s wartime troop strength will be reduced to about 350,000 soldiers. Of these, 100,000 reservists will be assigned to the national operative forces, and the remaining 250,000 will be part of local forces.
      In materiel acquisitions, the new defence forces will pay heed to the question of compatibility with EU and NATO systems.
      Rimpi said that compatibility will also be a consideration in the composition and working methods of military staff headquarters.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Tuusula disappointed by decision to shut down Air Defence Regiment (17.3.2005)

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