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NATO Moves North—Permanent Allied Land Command Coming to Arctic Finland

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Photo of Vlad Litnarovych
Vlad Litnarovych
News Writer
Finnish soldiers of the Finnish-Swedish Division walk next to the Leopard 2A6, on March 9, 2024, on the Finnish side of the Kivilompolo border crossing between Finland and Norway, above the Arctic Circle. (Source: Getty Images)
Finnish soldiers of the Finnish-Swedish Division walk next to the Leopard 2A6, on March 9, 2024, on the Finnish side of the Kivilompolo border crossing between Finland and Norway, above the Arctic Circle. (Source: Getty Images)

NATO will create a Forward Land Forces Multinational Staff Element in Finland as part of a permanent allied presence in the country’s north, Finland’s defense minister announced, according to BFBS Forces News on February 18.

The new unit is expected to operate in Rovaniemi and Sodankylä, reinforcing NATO’s posture in the High North and Arctic region. Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen said Rovaniemi provides the most suitable conditions for hosting the headquarters.

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“Earlier, we succeeded in securing the support of our allies for our approach to Forward Land Forces (FLF) Finland. The implementation of that model has progressed well,” Häkkänen said in a statement.

The Multinational Staff Element’s structure will develop gradually over the coming years. Current plans envision half of its activities carried out by Finland and Sweden, with the remaining share handled by other contributing NATO allies.

Under normal peacetime conditions, Forward Land Forces units primarily conduct joint training and exercises with national defense forces. Personnel deployments to Finland will occur for exercises and as required by the evolving security environment.

If regional tensions rise, the allied land presence could expand to brigade size, and additional forces may be deployed even during peacetime.

“The peacetime strength of the MNSE will reach the same level as the Multi Corps Land Component Command in Mikkeli. This is a step towards strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defense in the High North and the Arctic region,” Häkkänen added.

“The MNSE should eventually have a few dozen employees. Together with the allies contributing to FLF Finland, we are enhancing readiness across the alliance and building even better interoperability.”

Countries that have already signaled participation in NATO’s Forward Land Forces Finland initiative include the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and other Nordic partners.

The move underscores NATO’s continued focus on northern Europe and Arctic security, particularly following Finland’s accession to the alliance and the region’s growing strategic importance.

Earlier, reports emerged that Russia was strengthening its strategic and nuclear posture in the Arctic and expanding military infrastructure along the border with Finland.

The Arctic is “critical” to European defense, and warned that Moscow is concentrating key strategic capabilities in the region.

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