The Defence Forces protects Finland’s integrity

A woman in voluntary military service and conscripts in a forest exercise.

The Ministry of Defence guides and directs the activities of the Finnish Defence Forces.

The tasks of the Defence Forces are:

  • Military defence of Finland
    • to monitor land and water areas as well as airspace
    • to ensure territorial integrity
    • to secure safe living conditions for the people, fundamental rights and the state's freedom of action as well as a legal social order
    • to give military training, lead voluntary defence training and promote the will to defend.
  • Participation in NATO's collective defence
  • Support other authorities
  • Participation in international aid
  • Participation in international military crisis management

The peacetime structure of the Finnish Defence Forces consists of The Defence Command and five subordinate establishments, Army, Navy, Air Force and National Defence University. Establishments subordinate to the Defence Command are Finnish Defence Forces C5 Agency, Defence Forces Shared Services Centre, Finnish Defence Intelligence Agency, Finnish Defence Forces Defence Research Agency and The Defence Forces Logistics Command.

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