The Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA), signed in Washington DC on December 18, will significantly deepen bilateral cooperation between Finland and the United States. Finland’s Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said it complements the country’s membership in NATO.
“The Defense Cooperation Agreement is an essential part of strengthening our bilateral cooperation and complements our NATO membership. We believe that cooperation will continue to strengthen.Finland also believes that it is important that the transatlantic relationship between the EU and the US grows even closer,” he said ahead of today’s signing ceremony in Washington. Valtonen said.
“The bilateral relationship between Finland and the United States is excellent,” he stressed at the ceremony, adding that the new agreement would take cooperation to a new level.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed that “this is a historic moment in our friendship.” He praised Finland’s significant contribution to NATO, saying that Finland “knows better than anyone what is at stake in Ukraine.”
Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkenen was also in attendance in Washington, DC.
“This agreement reflects the United States’ commitment to Finland’s security and creates conditions for cooperation in times of crisis. Finland does not defend itself alone, but as a NATO ally and together with the United States. We are defending ourselves,” Minister Häkkanen said in a statement.
He stressed that Finland has been working closely with the United States since the early 1990s and that the new agreement “would not have been possible without a long history of cooperation.”
advertisement
The agreement was signed by Mr. Hakkenen and Mr. Blinken at the US State Department. Approval by the Finnish Parliament is required before adoption.
The agreement regulates U.S. access to and use of numerous military facilities and areas throughout Finland, including the prepositioning of defense equipment, materiel, and materiel, and the entry and movement of U.S. aircraft, ships, and vehicles.
The Far North Lapland region is a key priority area highlighted in the agreement. Five of the 15 bases, training and storage sites included in the agreement are in Lapland.
Among them is Lovajärvi, the largest military training range in Western Europe. Lobajärvi he spreads over an area of 1,070 square kilometers and is used for large-scale military exercises in which up to 3,500 people can participate.
It also includes the Lapland Air Force Command Air Base and the Jaeger Brigade Garrison in Rovaniemi. Air Force Command is one of his two F-18 fighter bases in Finland. In the next few years, it will also house parts for Finland’s new F-35 aircraft.
The document also highlights the military storage areas of Tervora and Beisluoto.
The northernmost location mentioned is the border guard station in Ivalo, a small town located only about 50 kilometers from the Russian border.
Ivalo is connected by road to the Murmansk region of Russia, including the Raja Giuseppi border point. On the Russian side of the border, there is the 80th Motorized Rifle Brigade in Alakluti, also known as the Russian Arctic Brigade.
The Finland-US agreement was signed just days after a similar agreement was signed between Sweden and the US. The agreement also gives high priority to bases in the far north.
Unlike neighboring Norway, Finland does not appear to limit military alliance cooperation through self-regulation. During the Cold War, Norway introduced restrictions on allied military activities in the East Finnmark region to avoid provoking the Soviet Union.
Although the debate has become increasingly problematic, NATO allies and partners are still not allowed to participate in exercises in the East Finnmark region or fly military aircraft in Norwegian airspace east of Porsangerfjord. It is also not recognized. Non-Norwegian fighter aircraft are prohibited east of Tana Fjord.
Self-regulation was never returned to either the Soviet or Russian sides.
Today, there are strong voices calling for the abolition of regulations. The new Finnish and Swedish defense agreement with the United States makes it increasingly important that the East Finnmark region is also opened up to allied operations. On several recent occasions, allied aircraft flew signals intelligence flights across Finland, but ultimately turned back south before reaching the Norwegian border.
Lifting Norway’s restrictions would allow allied training and aircraft to enter the Barents Sea from Sweden and Finland.
