Address by Commander of the Finnish Army, Lieutenant General Petri Hulkko, at the National Independence Day Parade in Mikkeli on 6 December 2018.
Honoured Veterans of Our Wars and Lottas, Ladies and Gentlemen, Soldiers,
This year marks the centenary of the Finnish Defence Forces, and this anniversary has been celebrated in many ways over the course of the year. Today the National Independence Day parade culminates the centenary here in Mikkeli, the town of the General Headquarters. The anniversary closes with a worthy celebration.
The primary task of the Finnish Defence Forces equals preventing Finland from becoming a target for military use of force. The notion of a preventive capability denotes a subjective concept. As soldiers we well know what the Finnish Defence Forces’ capability translates into, yet this will not suffice. All Finns have their own impressions of the Finnish Defence Forces’ capability, and the same applies to the people and nations beyond our borders.
Preventive measures rely on troops with sustained capability and a strong will to defend the country. It does not pay off to put a candle under a bushel. The Finnish Defence Forces must be part of society, evolve with the times, and reach out both towards our own citizens and outside Finland. Undertaking training exercises and organising national-defence-oriented events across Finland enhance credibility and increase the national defence spirit. Correctly balanced external communications, multinational training exercises and visits will increase our credibility beyond our borders. Let our message run openly loud and clear.
The Finnish Defence Forces have fulfilled the set tasks well, as over 70 years have now passed since our wars. Preventive measures failing, the Finnish Defence Forces must sustain a credible capability to repel an offender. The Finnish Defence Forces demonstrated the capability for fulfilling also this task in the repelling battles fought both in the Winter War and during the Continuation War. The legacy of the battles of Tolvajärvi, Raate and Tali-Ihantala will live on. The thanks for this go to You, Veterans of our wars and Lottas.
Our national defence’s foundational fundaments remain sound. The general liability for military service, an extensive reserve and the defence of the entire country continue to remain valid. The general liability for military service provides us with sufficient and well trained wartime troops. In addition, this serves as the foundation for the high willingness to defend the country. In fact, I view the general liability for military service forming part of a democratic society in which each Finnish youngster, female and male, will start their military service from the same line regardless of their background. This is highly exceptional, no matter in which direction in the world we take a look at. And all you young people set an example of the functioning and capable system.
Our parade troops represent the spearhead capabilities of our Defence Forces, the most novel weaponry and optimal capability. Our national defence capability remains calibrated to a good level. We need to sustain an up-to-date materiel basis of our capability as this forms part of the credible defence capability.
The will to defend equals the most central element in credible defence. Without this will all else would become meaningless. According to the most recently released opinions barometres, nearly 70 per cent of the Finnish people would be ready to defend Finland by force of arms even if the outcome appeared to be uncertain. Nowhere else in the world, nowhere, do the polls’ percentage points come even close. Now this is part of the capability for preventive measures that I advocate. We sustain a Finnish defence solution for us Finns. This defence solution continues to be of good quality and credible. Let us keep it that way.
Soldiers,
Let us give threefold cheer for our independent Fatherland
