Army to hold an exercise on the defence of Uusimaa in late May
The Guard Jaeger Regiment will lead the Sapeli 1/24 exercise in South Finland on 24–31 May 2024. The exercise will involve ca. 4,900 soldiers and ca. 900 vehicles, which will also include battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles.
In the Sapeli 1/24 exercise, Army brigades will practice joint branch operations in Uusimaa. The operational phase of the exercise is on 26–31 May 2024.
The exercise, led by the Guard Jaeger Regiment, will involve around 4,900 soldiers. Of their number, approximately 3,800 are conscripts, 500 are reservists, and 600 are personnel.
The exercise will include troops from the Guard Jaeger Regiment, the Armoured Brigade, the Pori Brigade, the Utti Jaeger Regiment and the Jaeger Brigade. Other authorities will also be involved in the exercise.
The primary objective of the exercise is to maintain and develop the interoperability of different branches in attack and defence operations in a built environment.
The Sapeli 1/24 exercise will be held in Uusimaa and Kanta-Häme in a number of cities and towns: Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Tuusula, Riihimäki, Raseborg, Hanko, Kirkkonummi, Vihti, Siuntio and Hattula.
The exercise is the final exercise for conscript leaders, who started their training last July, and for conscripts who started their rank-and-file training last January.
The Sapeli 1/24 combat exercise will be led by Colonel Matti Honko of the Guard Jaeger Regiment. According to him, the annual final combat exercise is a demanding event, both for regular personnel and conscripts.
– The exercise takes place in a large area of Southern Finland, which makes it possible for the troops to practice versatile cooperation and apply their competence. In the exercise, the troops face as many different challenges as possible, having to both attack and defend, says Honko.
The troops will carry fighting loads, including assault rifles. Training troops use blinds on a daily basis, which may cause noise in the vicinity of the training sites.
The exercise includes approximately 900 vehicles, including battle tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and Pasi armoured personnel carriers.
Follow the exercise on social media with hashtag #sapeli24.
