Deputy Chief of Staff Mikko Heiskanen said they have the will and capacity to defend the country from Russian attack. Strategic planning allows weapons to be stored in NATO allies, and civilian manufacturers can quickly transition to producing defense materials.
Finland has the longest border with Russia among EU and NATO countries. They have strategic plans for what to do in case of war with Russia. Details of the planning were revealed in the Financial Times.
Helsinki successfully tested its ability to put the country on a war footing and began storing equipment outside the country. Finland has a high level of preparedness as it deals with an increasingly aggressive Russia. Deputy Chief of Staff for Armaments and Defense Logistics, Lieutenant General Mikko Heiskanen (Minister of War, literally translated from Finnish) said that they reviewed more than 1,000 agreements with private companies to produce equipment or provide services during the war.
Important
“Strong document”: Ukraine and Finland signed a bilateral security agreement (video)
“We need to be prepared for a long-term crisis… We have activated some of them, we have checked all the transactions, we have tested the purchases of not only ammunition, but also other materials. We are checking the plans and readiness of our strategic partners,” Heiskanen said.
Finland probably has the highest level of readiness among NATO or EU countries due to its experience of war with the Russian Federation, in particular in 1939-1940. The Soviet army then had huge losses.
Helsinki has stockpiled basic fuel and grain for at least six months, as well as enough shelter for the entire population. In addition, a third of Finland’s population are reservists, giving the country of 5.6 million one of the largest armies in Europe.
“It’s in our DNA. Russia respects strength. Strength consists of both will and potential. There is will. The will of the people to defend the country is perhaps the highest in the world. Material ability is at a level that deserves trust. To develop this potential it takes years. You can’t do it in a year or two,” Heiskanen added.
He declined to go into detail, but added that textile manufacturers could quickly pivot to producing body armor or other protective items. The country is currently at 3 out of 9 possible escalation levels. The economy did not switch to a war footing, but weapons production increased. Due to the war in Ukraine, ammunition production has increased 10 times compared to 2019.
Thanks to NATO membership, Finland began storing military equipment in Norway, and plans to do so in Sweden. In the future, they will store ammunition and possibly even spare parts.
“We are no longer alone. We can trust others. We don’t have to keep all our eggs in one basket. We don’t have to own all the cows to produce milk for us.”,” Heiskanen concluded.
Let us recall that on April 12, the media wrote that Finland began developing the first wheeled self-propelled guns based on the 155K98.
Earlier, Finnish President Alexander Stubb said that one should not think about oil prices when it comes to Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries.
