Lightning Strike 23 and Northern Forest 23 

At the Rovajärvi range and training exercise area the Army Academy will lead the exercise Lightning Strike 23 during 15.–26.5.2023, and the exercise Northern Forest 23 during 27.5.–2.6.2023. The exercises will develop joint fires and combat operating with forces of the alliance and Sweden, as well as the ability for providing and receiving international assistance.

The exercises will be participated by units from the Army brigade-level units, Air Force, Finnish Border Guard, Finnish Defence Forces’ C5 Agency, Centre for Military Medicine, and Logistics Command. The total strength of the training audience forces will be up to c. 8,000 soldiers, of whom c. 1,100 will be international troops from the U.S.A., the U.K., Sweden, and Norway. 

The equipment of the international forces will include, among others, Warrior infantry fighting vehicles (the U.K.), MLRS rocket launcher systems (the U.S. and the U.K.) and CV90 infantry fighting vehicles (Sweden and Norway).