Thousands of NATO troops are taking part in a large-scale artillery exercise this month, held for the first time in the Finnish Arctic, an operation seen as a show of force against neighboring Russia.
The detonations of cannons and rockets echo across the snowy, hilly landscape of Lapland. Up to 3,600 troops from the United States, Sweden, the United Kingdom, France and other NATO countries are taking part in live-fire exercises here throughout the month.
This is part of “Dynamic Front 25”, the largest Alliance artillery exercise ever organized in Europe, with firing exercises in Finland as well as Estonia, Germany and Poland . A total of 5,000 soldiers from Alliance members have been mobilized.
“These NATO training sessions are increasingly intended to show other countries, especially Russia, that the Alliance is united and capable of defending its members”, underlines to AFP Joel Linnainmaki, researcher at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs.
The Nordic country, which shares a 1,340-kilometer-long border with Russia, abandoned decades of military non-alignment and joined NATO following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
This decision has angered Moscow, which sees the increase in the Alliance's presence near its borders as a provocation and a threat to its security.
Colonel Janne Makitalo is leading the exercise in Finland, which is hosting a major NATO exercise on its soil for the first time since its membership.
The main objective: to work on interoperability between allies, particularly at the artillery level, while preparing the troops for the harsh conditions of the Arctic, he specifies.
“Of course it sends the message that we are able to train together, that we are developing our means,” he told reporters.
Colonel Janne Makitalo is leading the exercise in Finland, which is hosting a major NATO exercise on its soil for the first time since its membership.
The main objective: working on interoperability between allies, particularly at the artillery level, while
For the colonel, “artillery is the centerpiece of the battlefield, as the experience of combat in Ukraine has shown us.”
Does he not see a risk of provoking the adversary by deploying NATO's military power in Russia's backyard? No, he brushes off. “This is not any show of force,” he says.
Regardless, Finland's membership in NATO added “280,000 troops” to the Alliance's northern flank.
– “Unique place” –
In Rovajarvi, the troops took up positions, ready to fire, in a desolate landscape covered in a thin layer of snow and ice.
At this time of year above the Arctic Circle, the sun rises around 9:30 a.m. and sets less than six hours later, before 3:00 p.m.
This firing range and training area of more than 1,000 square kilometers is the largest in Europe, attracting allies wishing to train in difficult conditions.
“It is a unique training location, because it is one of the rare places” where a real war situation can be simulated, underlines Lieutenant Antti-Matti Puisto, head of the shooting section of the Finnish Karelian Brigade.
With temperatures typically dropping to -20 degrees Celsius in winter, the Finnish armed forces are known to be well trained and equipped to deal with extreme cold.
A key principle, notes the lieutenant, is to maintain heat, by wearing several layers of clothing, and by keeping camps dry and protected from humidity.
Captain Romain, commander of the Batterie des Ecrins of the 93rd mountain artillery regiment, agrees.
“The objective is to put into practice our skills as artillerymen and mountaineers, working in a very cold environment,” he told AFP.
The brigade of conscript and sergeant Olli Myllymaki has just completed a series of shooting exercises using K9 tanks in a snowy forest.
“We are in the process of writing history,” he believes.
