Finland became NATO’s 31st member on Tuesday, giving the Western military alliance significant defense capabilities built up over years of neutrality next door to Russia, Reuters reported.

• VIDEO Finland became a member of NATO: “Putin failed” / Russia threatens “countermeasures”

Finland is one of the few European countries to retain conscription during decades of peace, fearing neighboring Russia after the former Soviet Union attempted to invade Finland during World War II.

Finland’s land, naval and air forces are trained and equipped with one main goal – to repel a possible Russian invasion.

Army

Finland trains about 21,000 recruits each year, who then become part of a military reserve of 280,000 soldiers, of which approximately 10,000 are called up annually for training rotations.

Approximately 870,000 Finns between the ages of 17 and 60 can be called up if needed.

The contractor employs 12,000 people, of which 8,000 are military personnel.

The ground forces are armed with 650 tanks, of which 200 are German Leopard type 2A6 and 2A4.

Finland has what it calls “the most powerful artillery in Western Europe,” which includes 1,500 weapons: about 700 howitzers and cannons, 700 mortars and 100 heavy and light rocket launchers.

Finland also has Israel’s ELTA anti-battery radar system, which enables it to detect and track incoming rockets, artillery and mortar shells.

Finland’s anti-aircraft equipment consists of at least 650 missiles, but the country purchases more from Sweden’s Saab Dynamics and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

Its most important anti-aircraft system is the NATO-compatible Norwegian-American NASAMS 2. It also has anti-aircraft guns and tanks designed for the same purpose.

It is in the final stages of the tender process for a new high-altitude anti-aircraft system it will purchase from Israel Aerospace Industries or Rafael Advanced Systems.

Finland has an undisclosed number of unarmed Orbiter drones and is in the process of acquiring another 1,000 to 2,000 drones, including hundreds of Parrot Anafi USA drones similar to those used by the US military.

The infantry has enough firearms – automatic weapons, machine guns, grenade launchers and anti-tank weapons – for the entire reserve, as well as all the equipment necessary for fighting in harsh winter conditions, as well as night vision systems and gas masks.

Finland destroyed an estimated 1.3 million anti-personnel mines after joining the Ottawa Mine Ban Convention in 2012, but has since replaced that capability with remote-controlled intelligent mines and area exclusion systems.

The army has a wide range of wheeled and tracked vehicles for both personnel and equipment.

Aviation

The Finnish Air Force has a fleet of 61 McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets, which will be replaced by 64 Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II aircraft starting in 2026.

In addition to the fleet of jet aircraft, the Air Force has dozens of training aircraft and surveillance radars, including those with a range of almost 500 km.

Naval forces

The Finnish Navy has four command ships, five mine countermeasures combat ships, eight mine countermeasures combat ships, three mine countermeasures ships, 13 minesweepers, and smaller landing craft.

Finland will arm itself with three new multipurpose surface combat corvettes, which are currently under construction in the country and will enter service by 2029. (Source: Reuters/News.ro / Photo: Dreamstime.com)