Commander of the Finnish Army, Lieutenant General Pasi Välimäki, met the Commanding General of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Northern Army, Lieutenant General Kazutomo Idogawa, in Helsinki on 12 June 2026.

During this spring, France conducted its first extended deployment to Finland, sending approximately 180 soldiers from the 27e Brigade d’Infanterie de Montagne. The mountain troops arrived at the end of February and departed at the beginning of June. French and Finnish soldiers exchanged expertise and significantly enhanced their capability to fight together in Nordic conditions.

Throughout the year, FINSOF and ESTSOF conscripts have trained in each other’s operational environments, gaining valuable experience and expertise while strengthening interoperability between the units.

All brigade-level units of the Army will rehearse joint operating with allied countries’ contingents in the course of May. Several exercises executed simultaneously are aimed at strengthening the Army’s defence capability across Finland, conscripts’ know-how and joint operating with Allies. During the spring, a total of approximately 19,000 allied soldiers from Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Norway, France, United Kingdom, United States, Italy, Hungary and Poland will take part in the exercises.