Three German army helicopters and about 30 German soldiers are to take part in the Winter Camp 2006 military exercise in Finnish Lapland next week.
The international exercise begins in Utti in the southeast of Finland on Tuesday, and continues near Kittilä Airport in Finnish Lapland until February 24th. Finnish participants include a helicopter detachment from the Utti Jaeger Regiment and about 60 soldiers.
The German forces will need special permission under Finnish law to take part.
The purpose of the Winter Camp exercise will be to practice the ability of the Defence Forces to work together with helicopter forces of the German Army before the establishment of a common battle group for crisis management purposes.
Germany, Finland, and The Netherlands will form an EU multinational battle group that will be on call next year.
According to Lieutenant-Colonel Juha Pekkola, Chief of Staff of the Utti regiment, three Finnish MI 8 transport helicopters and four MD 500 light helicopters will take part. The German airborne force will include three UH1 D transport helicopters and 31 soldiers.
The Germans will arrive in Utti on Monday in helicopters and one transport plane.
The exercise begins in Utti on Tuesday, and moves to Lapland by Friday.
The focus of the exercise will be practising flying in winter conditions near the fells of Finnish Lapland, as well as search measures, and tactical flying.
Finland and Germany have chosen the NH 90 model as their new transport helicopter, and the armed forces of the two countries have already started cooperation in the handling of the aircraft. Deliveries will begin later this year.
The NH 90 model is a twin-engined medium-weight multipurpose helicopter.
The Winter Camp exercise is part of the international exercise plan approved by the government's ministerial committee on foreign and security policy.
