Rovaniemi in Arctic Finland chosen for NATO’s Forward Land Forces HQ

Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen (NCP) has chosen Finnish Lapland’s capital of Rovaniemi as the location of Nato’s Forward Land Forces (FLF) headquarters, according to a ministry press release on Monday.

Once established, the FLF’s Multinational Staff Element (MNSE), will become a permanent presence in Northern Finland, Häkkänen said in the release.

“The focus of FLF Finland’s battlegroup activities will be in Northern Finland and, largely supported by Rovaniemi and Sodankylä. Considering the synergies and the ability to support the activities, Rovaniemi is the best location for a permanent FLF Staff Element in Finland,” he said in the release.

According to the defence ministry, the structure of the MNSE will evolve in coming years.

“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 defence in the High North and the Arctic region. 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,” Häkkänen said.

The FLF are part of the defence alliance’s peacetime activities, the ministry explained. Under normal circumstances, they train and exercise with national defence forces.

According to the ministry, troops will be in Finland for exercises as well as when the security situation requires.

“The FLF are part of Nato’s operations planning. Should the security situation change, the FLF presence could be scaled up to brigade size. Allies also exercise their ability to increase the land forces in peacetime,” the ministry’s release read.

Around half of the tasks at the multinational headquarters will be carried out by Finnish and Swedish personnel, while the other half will be done by other Nato countries.

According to Heikki Autto, a National Coalition Party MP from Lapland and chair of the parliamentary defense committee, the headquarters will be located in Rovaniemi’s garrison area — and planning can start now.

Rovaniemi’s mayor, Ulla-Kirsikka Vainio, said she was pleased to hear about the decision, noting the city has been waiting a long time for the news.

She said the city is prepared to welcome international troops and their family members. As an example, Rovaniemi offers English-language primary and upper-secondary education programmes — as well as daycare services.

Vainio said she thinks that the city can also provide jobs for Nato personnel members’ spouses.

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This story is posted on the Barents Observer as part of Eye on the Arctic, a collaborative partnership between public and private circumpolar media organizations.