Northern Coasts exercise to deepen the bilateral cooperation between Finland and Sweden (FISE)
The first phase of the Northern Coasts 17 exercise has started and 48 vessels have left Karlskrona in Sweden for the sea. The multinational exercise lasts for around two weeks, during which units from 14 countries will exercise international crisis management.
Finland participates in the Northern Coasts, NOCO-17, exercise with staff officers and five vessel units. The exercise frame is the Swedish-Finnish Naval Task Group, SFNTG, which is a result of the bilateral cooperation between Finland and Sweden, nations who share the same objectives in the Baltic Sea area. These objectives have been the foundation for the bilateral cooperation, which aims for the countries to reach a joint operational readiness by 2023.
- The operating environment in the Baltic Sea is very demanding. Every day between 2 000 and 3000 vessels operate in the Baltic Sea, transporting over 80 % of Sweden's imported goods. For Finland similar numbers apply. In addition to that, the sea conceals lots of hidden infrastructure: gas pipes, oil pipes, not to mention the hundreds of thousands kilometres of optical cable that our society’s data communication rely on, explains the commander of the Swedish-Finnish Naval Task Group, Swedish Captain (N)Bengt Lundgren for Swedish media at the beginning of the exercise.
- This is why it's so important to exercise in the Baltic Sea. The maritime transports to our country may not be disrupted, and if needed we must be capable to secure society’s essential transports. The sea areas are under surveillance every day.
The Sea surveillance co-operation Finland Sweden, SUCFIS, was established in 2006 with the aim of providing a recognised maritime picture for the entire Baltic Sea area. In addition, the sea surveillance is complemented by the Sea surveillance co-operation Baltic Sea, SUCBAS.
The planning of the SFNTG was initiated in 2014 and in 2015 the Task Group started exercising together. The NOCO-17 exercise offers the SFNTG great opportunities to exercise together with other nations in its own operating area.
The SFNTG directing staff will be evaluated during the NOCO-17 exercise. Captain Lundgren thinks that the SFNTG is developing in the right direction:
- We need to assess whether we are doing the right things with the Task Group and for that the evaluation is a great indicator. The units have already been evaluated and the cooperation has produced a joint recognised maritime picture.
This year the SFNTG staff is commanded by a Swedish officer and Chief of Staff is the Finnish officer, Commander Mikko Villikari.
The first phase of the SFNTG is to develop the mobile sea surveillance in normal conditions in order to produce a joint recognised maritime picture and to establish a joint directing staff for the Task Group by the end of this year.
To plan a big international exercise takes a year
International exercises, like the NOCO-17, are an appropriate and cost effective way for Finland to learn valuable lessons and develop approaches that are compatible with other countries. They are essential for improving the international interoperability and at the same time they serve the national defence: international exercises provide extensive exercise opportunities for troops, for which the resources on a national level would be insufficient, and the operating environment includes capabilities that Finland itself doesn’t have, such as submarines.
International exercises are a good environment to test and develop gear and equipment based on user experience, and to improve one’s own actions and technologies, ranging from a single soldier to commanding at headquarters level.
They also provide valuable experience from working with people from other countries and offer new approaches for planning. International exercises offer two-way benefits: Finland is an appreciated partner that others can learn from as well.
Next year Finland will host the Northern Coasts exercise. Planning a big exercise, like NOCO, takes around one year. During that time Finland will cooperate on a regular basis with other participating countries. Finland has hosted the exercise twice before, in 2010 and 2014.
Pictures: Combat-Camera / Thomas Litchfield
