Local Defence Exercise Lapland Stone 25
The Jaeger Brigade -led Lapland Stone 25 -local defence exercise will be held in the regions of Haaparanta, Tornio, Keminmaa, and Kemi during 18.–23.2.2025.
The exercise’s objective is to develop co-operating of the Finnish local forces and Swedish Home Guard and readiness for tasks of areal combat and protection, as well as to enhance interoperability and preparedness for disruption situations of Finnish local forces, authorities, and business sector. The exercise will also be the final exercise of the Military Police contingent mustering out from the Jager Brigade into the reserve.
From the Finnish Defence Forces the exercise will be participated by up to 250 service personnel, reservists, and conscripts, as well as 60 vehicles.
Alongside the Jaeger Brigade, the exercise will be participated by troops from the Lapland Air Wing, West Finland Coast Guard District, Utti Jaeger Regiment, Guard Jaeger Regiment, Army Command, Home Guard of the Swedish Armed Forces, and the U.S. Armed Forces.
Of the Lapland regional authorities, the exercise will be participated by Lapland Police Department, Regional State Administrative Agency for Lapland, Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment for Lapland, National Emergency Supply Agency, Wellbeing Services County of Lapland, Customs Office of Tornio, City of Tornio, Municipality of Keminmaa, City of Kemi, Municipality of Ylitornio, and Municipality of Simo.
The exercise will be commanded by Deputy Commander of the Jaeger Brigade, Colonel Ari Mure.
- Although local forces are primarily developed for national defence, co-operation with the Swedish Home Guard is a key element in safeguarding border regions. Local forces’ specialist competence is developed based on the area of responsibility and use principle. For the defenders of the North, this means also the region of Tornio and Haaparanta, says Exercise Director, Deputy Commander of the Jaeger Brigade, Colonel Ari Mure.
In the regions of Haaparanta, Tornio, Keminmaa and Kemi, Finnish and Swedish troops will train protecting and securing transports, traffic connections, and other targets. Training exercise activity will affect traffic and movement in the exercise area during 20.–22.2.2025.
The exercise entity will also comprise the police-led inter-authority co-operation exercise. On Wednesday 19.2. in the area of Kemi, the main training objective concerns utilisation and improvement of inter-agency co-operation on a demanding mission. The exercise has been planned so that it emphasises co-operating conducted by the Lapland Police Department, Jaeger Brigade, Lapland Air Wing, West Finland Coast Guard District, and Wellbeing Service County of Lapland emergency medical care.
- It is important for us to be familiar with the capability and capacity of other operators and to train joint techniques and procedures in order to be stronger together, says Chief Inspector Jukka-Pekka Salmela from Lapland Police Department.
Follow the exercise on the social media channels of the Jaeger Brigade and Army with #paikallispuolustus #paikallisturvallisuus #paikallispuolustajat #LaplandStone
Lapland Stone 25 -local defence exercise is part of the Army Command -led local defence exercise entity. Up to 3,000 soldiers to participate in a series of exercises strengthening Finland’s local defence
On the basis of Section 14 of the Act on the Defence Forces, the Jaeger Brigade has made the decision on the use of real property for the purpose of military exercise during 18.-28.2.2025. Public service notification in Finnish: Yleistiedoksianto - Jääkäriprikaatin päätös 15.1.2025 - Puolustusvoimat
National Defence Event in Tornio on Sunday 23.2.2025
In conjunction with Lapland Stone 25 -local defence exercise, the Jaeger Brigade will hold a National Defence Event in Tornio on Sunday 23.2.2025 together with the Swedish Armed Forces’ Home Guard, City of Tornio, and Rajalla På Gränsen shopping centre.
The event will also mark the anniversary of the Army and Regional Offices.
Programme for the event:
At 09:30 Wreath laying ceremony at the Winter War and Continuation War Monument of the Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Cemetery of the Queen Hedvig Eleonora Church by representatives of Lapland Regional Office and of the Swedish Armed Forces Home Guard.
The ceremony conducted, the troops will march to Rajalla På Gränsen shopping centre.
At 10:00 Review of troops at the square of Rajalla På Gränsen shopping centre. The parade troops will be commanded by Exercise Director, Colonel Ari Mure.
Programme for the review of troops:
At 09:55 Troops’ alignment at the square and reporting to Commander of the parade troops
At 10:00 Troops’ reporting to the reviewers of the parade
Music Performance
Address by Brigadier General Ari Laaksonen
Music Performance
Address by Brigadier General Mattias Ardin
Music Performance
Closing of the review of troops
At 10:15–12:00 Equipment Display at the parking area of the Customs Office of Tornio featuring Finnish and Swedish equipment, with an opportunity for a tracked terrain vehicle drive.
At 11:00–12:00 Concert by the Lapland Military Band and Hemvärnets Musikkår Norrbotten at Rajalla På Gränsen shopping centre.
