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30.6.2026 | The Finnish Ministry of Defence, the Estonian Defence Forces, and the European AI lab for Defence NestAI have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) on 30 June 2026 to advance the development of artificial intelligence capabilities. The LOI does not include financial commitments. Instead, it establishes a framework for knowledge sharing, joint development, training, and technical cooperation.

30.6.2026 | On Monday 6 July 2026, the conscripts of the summer contingent will report for military service in the Army. 9700 recruits will begin their military service in Army brigade-level units. Karelia Brigade, Pori Brigade and Kainuu Brigade will receive the largest numbers of recruits.

30.6.2026 | Conscripts of contingent 2/26 start their military service on Monday, 6 July 2026. The brigade-level units of the Defence Forces and the Border Guard will receive about 12 500 new recruits.

18.6.2026 | Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark acted as joint hosts for the northern part of NATO’s Ramstein Flag 26 exercise, which concludes today.

Finnish Navy The Finnish Navy has three statutory tasks related to the military defence of Finland: the surveillance of our territorial waters, repelling of territorial violations and maritime attacks, and protecting sea lines of communication. Th...

Coastal Fleet consists of Headquarters and four squadrons: 4th Mine Countermeasures Squadron, 6th and 7th Surface Warfare Squadrons and 8th Service Support Squadron. Bases are situated in Turku and Kirkkonummi but the battleships operate around all Finnish territorial waters.

Conscripts at Nyland Brigade The Nyland Brigade is planned, equipped and trained for battle missions in the demanding special conditions along the coast and in the archipelago. The Nyland Brigade produces among others coastal jaeger, mortar, engin...

18.6.2026 | On 18 June 2026, Finnish Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen authorised the Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command to purchase GBU-53 Small Diameter Bomb II (SDB II) glide bombs from the United States. Glide bombs will be used in Finnish Air Force F-35A multirole fighters.

27.5.2026 | The flagship of Standing Nato Mine Countermeasures Group One (SNMCMG1), Polish ORP Kontradmiral X. Czernicki, and Estonian ENS Ugandi, will conduct a scheduled port visit in Hanko arriving on 27 May 2026.

21.5.2026 | The second Pohjanmaa-class multi-role corvette to be built for the Navy has been launched in Rauma. The vessel was moved from the construction hall to the dock basin where the building and outfitting of the vessel will continue. A festive launch ceremony was celebrated in Rauma on 21 May.

15.5.2026 | The Finnish Navy’s spring main exercise Narrow Waters 26-1 will be held from 20 to 27 May 2026. Exercise activities will take place in the coastal areas of Southern Finland and in the Gulf of Finland.

22.4.2026 | Standing NATO Maritime Group 1, (SNMG1), will conduct a scheduled port visit in Turku arriving on 22 Apr 2026, Commanded by Commodore Maryla Ingham, Royal Navy, on the flagship German frigate FGS Sachsen and Portuguese frigate NRP Dom Francisco de Almeida. The vessels will moor at Turku harbor.

2.4.2026 | For several years, the Navy has been developing a comprehensive capability to produce virtual exercises to train soldiers with better skills. This time, the Navy is piloting a procedure exercise for the virtual training environment for trainees to practise situations involving damages on a vessel in a setting that simulates reality.

20.4.2026 | The Government Defence Report (VNS 2024) mentions the modernisation of minesweeping capabilities of contact and influence mines, which is set to begin with replacing the ageing Kuha and Kiiski class vessels. The vessels were built in the 1970s and 1980s, and extending their life cycle is no longer cost-effective.

13.3.2026 | The Baltic Commanders Conference brought together the Commanders of Naval Forces of the Baltic Sea region, as well as Commanders of the NATO's Maritime Command and of the CTF Baltic in Turku 10 – 12 of March 2026.

27.2.2026 | Finnish Navy hosts NATO:s small scale operational experimentation exercise Dynamic Messenger in Upinniemi from 2nd to 13th March.

2.3.2026 | Offshore patrol craft Tursas will be handed over to the Defence Forces by the Border Guard as part of new Turva-class offshore patrol vessels being introduced into service.

6.2.2026 | The Coastal Fleet’s annual winter operations exercise LUMIUKKO26 will be conducted in the Gulf of Finland and the Archipelago Sea from 6 to 12 February 2026. Winter operations are key parts of the Coastal Fleet’s activities.

22.10.2025 | A detachment from the United States Marine Corps (USMC), Marine Rotational Force - Europe, led by Combat Logistics Battalion 6, are arriving to Finland and will train together with Nyland Brigade until the end of December. The detachment will have a strength of around 350 Marines by the beginning of November and will be stationed in Nyland Brigade.

16.6.2025 | This year, the Open Regional Military Championships in Naval Pentathlon will take place in Finland, in the Upinniemi garrison on 23-28 June. The local organiser is the Coastal Brigade. The umbrella organization of military sports, International Military Sports Council (CISM), coordinates the organisation of championships and makes sure the rules are being followed.