NEWS ANALYSIS: Cost-challenged military to switch off the lights here and there

The Finnish Defence Forces will undergo a renewal process, but the old - tried and tested - doctrines will stay in force

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By Jarmo Huhtanen
     
      Finland’s Chief of Defence Ari Puheloinen shed some light last week on the much talked about renewal project of the country’s armed forces.
      If anyone was expecting Finland’s defence to be stirred around with a big spoon, he was in for a disappointment.
      Sure, the number of staff employed by the military will be reduced, and lights will be switched off permanently at certain detachments and bases, but the basic arrangement of the country’s defence will remain unchanged.
      The principle of compulsory military service will be maintained, and the entire country will be defended.
     
By contrast with the situation in a good many other countries, in Finland male compulsory military service is considered more or less sacred.
      There is a desire to keep the system unchanged, even though the barracks are crammed full with men that are not needed to defend the country.
      From the report compiled by the working group headed by Risto Siilasmaa (see the previous story below), one can calculate that Finland trains 6,000 national servicemen for no good purpose each year. There are no wartime detachments of any kind for them.
     
The renewal does not interfere with the regional defence doctrine originating from the 1960s, either.
      The promise to defend the entire country remains intact, even though both the peace and wartime strengths will be reduced significantly.
      No wonder the faith of the officer corps is being tested.
      From the recent member survey conducted by the Finnish Military Officers’ Union, one can detect a strong suspicion that with the present budget the defence of the entire country will not be possible.
      A general notion seems to be that Finland's military capability is sufficient to prevent a strategic attack only if directed towards the capital area.
     
General Puheloinen’s greatest nightmare is surely the notion that after 2015 Finland will still have exactly the same type of military as now, only a third smaller.
      The aim of the renewal is to have a leaner but better equipped military force. Whether this can be achieved to a satisfactory extent is a matter of faith at this stage. More than likely this will not happen.
     
So what is the military cutting?
      The Defence Forces wish to close down several detachments, facilities, and offices, but the final list will not become clear before sometime next year.
      The politicians are unlikely to accept all the suggestions, even though the closing down of just one detachment will translate to annual savings of EUR 20-40 million.
      In the Army, the likeliest detachments to be axed are the North Karelia Brigade and the Pioneer Regiment.
      Few people believe that the cutbacks would target the army’s readiness detachments - the Pori Brigade, the Karelia Brigade, and the Kainuu Brigade - unless the model of three standby units is changed, which, of course, is also possible.
      Under threat of closure is also the Navy’s Swedish-speaking Uusimaa Brigade.
      But few people believe that this will be shut down as long as the Swedish People’s Party’s Stefan Wallin remains the Minister of Defence.
     
The Defence Staff also has to consider the size of the country’s Air Force.
      The Hornet fighter/interceptor jets are an icon of the Finnish defence regime, but the greatest savings always come from areas with the greatest overheads.
      The inviolability of Finnish airspace is monitored by three Air Commands. It makes sense to keep the purchased fighter jets up-to-date, no matter the cost.
      But the question is, does Finland really need three Air Commands with 20 Hornets each?
      More than likely Finland could get by with just two Air Commands, one of which would supervise the airspace of the north and the other the airspace of the southern regions of the country.
     
     
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 8.9.2011


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Chief of Defence Ari Puheloinen ready to compromise on current strength of 350,000 reservists, but compulsory military service will remain - even if Finland joins NATO (19.5.2010)
  Military to cut down number of personnel (2.9.2011)
  Finnish Defence Forces have discussed temporary layoff of entire permanent staff (1.9.2011)

See also:
  Branding and IT experts to start planning future of military service (11.9.2009)

Links:
  Finnish Defence Forces

JARMO HUHTANEN / Helsingin Sanomat
jarmo.huhtanen@hs.fi