Facts about Army Academy

The Army Academy has three subordinate units: The Education and Training Centre (E & TC), Reserve Officer School and Army Research Centre. 

A trainer in an orange vest is pointing to the forest while two soldiers listen and observe

The Education and Training Centre (E & TC) 

The Education and Training Centre (E&TC) plans, prepares, implements and develops conscript training and the basic and continuing training for salaried personnel taking place in the Army Academy. Additionally, the Education and Training Centre (E&TC) implements the steering of Army vocational military NCO training that the Army Academy has been assigned responsibility for.


The centre's main products are the degrees and studies that are in the syllabus:

  • Army officers' service-specific modules
  • Branch specialisation for infantry, artillery, engineer and signals as well as intelligence and electronic warfare
  • Army NCOs service-specific modules
  • Branch specialisation for infantry, artillery, engineer and signals as well as intelligence and electronic warfare
  • Other continuing training for salaried personnel ordered by the Army Command

 

Two soldiers aim at the forest. One with an assault rifle, the other with a sniper rifle.Reserve Officer School

Since 1920 the Reserve Officer School has trained over 175,000 reserve officers for the Finnish Defence Forces reserve. The Reserve Officer School is located in Hamina and is part of the Lappeenranta-Hamina Garrison.

Tasks:

  • Reserve Officer Courses (all branches and Border Guard included)
  • Advanced training for officer candidates
  • NCO to Officer in the Reserve Courses
  • Platoon Leader Course (Reserve Non-Commissioned Officers starting studies in the National Defence University)
  • Military leadership course (for salaried personnel)　
  • Conscripts training

The Reserve Officer School organises two Army Reserve Officer Courses every year. Although the name is Army Reserve Officer Course, it trains leaders for the needs of all Services and for the Border Guard. Other tasks are advanced training for officer candidates and organising national refresher exercises. 

The Reserve Officer Course organises training in five Companies or Batteries, in 25 platoons in total. The combined strength of the course is approximately 700 officer students.
The training provides the basic skills and knowledge needed to be a wartime platoon leader.  The focus of the training is command and leadership, branch studies and cooperation between branches.
 

Soldiers in the forest in combat equipment. One is using a computer.Army Research Centre

The Army Research Centre is a modern expert organisation that operates in many localities. It conducts research and development as assigned by the Commandant of the Army Academy and it is also an important actor in writing field manuals and guides.
Its main task is to develop Army tactics as well as tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) at battalion level and battle group level. The central task of the Research and Development Department is planning, development and use of capabilities, as well as research and development supporting projects and procurement. The department also conducts testing and experimentation to support the above mentioned areas.
Most of the approximately 70 employees of the Army Research Centre work in Hamina but three research branches are located elsewhere. The Research and Development Department's Artillery Branch is in Niinisalo and the Armour Branch in Hattula, since the garrisons there have the equipment to advance the branches’ research and development.

 

 

 

The Centre has ten research areas:

  • infantry
  • armour and mechanized
  • artillery
  • engineer
  • ground-based air defence,
  • intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting as well as electronic warfare
  • C4 and signal,
  • logistics,
  • training and simulators,
  • fighting in built-up areas

The research and development done here is not done alone by a single researcher or a team behind closed doors, but the focus is out in the field where the troops operate. The Army Research Centre conducts research and testing together with different actors. The experimentation and testing is often done in the brigade-level units.
 

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