The visit of the United States Armed Forces Cyber Command to Finland Deepens Bilateral Cooperation
The United States European Command’s Deputy Director of Operations, Brigadier General Mathew Wenthe, and the Joint Force Headquarters-Cyber (Air Force) Deputy Commander, Brigadier General Heather Blackwell, visited Finland on September 16-17, 2025. The visit was hosted by Defence Command Chief of C5, Major General Jarmo Vähätiitto.
The visit took place at the Defence Forces C5 Agency, Jyväskylä. The visiting delegation was briefed on Defence Forces cyberspace operations and development of capabilities. The event addressed the current and future activities of the cyber partnership between Finland and the United States. The bilateral cooperation is based on Letter of Intent signed between the nations in 2024 aiming to advance partnership in all areas of cyberspace operations. Bilateral cooperation supports the development of cyber capabilities in alignment with NATO’s capability targets and expanded defense in the Cyberspace domain.
Defence Command Chief of C5, Major General Jarmo Vähätiitto considers the visit to be a concrete example of executing the development plan and a step towards deepening the partnership:
- The development of the FIN-USA bilateral cyber partnership continues based on established plans. In addition to exercises, it is of the utmost importance to be able to repel real-life cyber threats here and now. Operating together and exchanging information builds the foundation for defending critical systems. I wish to express my thanks to our American colleagues for their visit and commitment to developing our operational cooperation, Major General Vähätiitto said.
- The U.S. and Finland together bring complementary expertise to counter sophisticated state-sponsored cyber threat actors. Finland is a critical frontline state in combating malign cyber activities. Its unique understanding of regional cyber threats makes it an invaluable partner for the U.S. Moreover, operational coordination in the cyberspace domain between the U.S. and Finland enhances U.S. homeland defense against cyber threats stemming from global cyber threat actors, Brigadier General Wenthe said.
The development of the cyber partnership between Finland and the United States comprises exercises, information exchange, subject matter expert engagements, and cyberspace operations conducted together. Recently cyber experts from the United States Armed Forces assisted Finnish counterparts in identifying threats to enhance cyber protection of systems. The experts also shared best practices and techniques, tactics and procedures in order to further develop interoperability.
