Around 50 British soldiers trained alongside 3,000 Finnish troops in freezing forests just 20 miles from Russia's border. The five-day Operation Northern Ax exercise in Vuosanka, Finland, prepares both nations to defend Finland's frontier after the Nordic country joined NATO in 2023.
The British contingent from 3 Rifles, based in Edinburgh, endured temperatures as low as minus 28C during the simulated battle exercise. The soldiers had already completed six weeks of Arctic survival training, learning to cope with icy immersion, avoid frostbite, fight in snow, and shoot while skiing.
Finnish Defense Readiness
Major Henry Wootton, leading C Company of 3 Rifles, expressed admiration for Finland's defense structure. «It is really impressive to see a country that is orientated for defence,» he said during the training. «They have a set-in-stone defence plan and everyone contributes to that with their conscript service when they are 18.»
Finland's mandatory conscription for men creates a potential army of 900,000 from a population of 5.5 million. Conscripts remain as reservists until age 50 and undertake regular refresher courses.
Adapting to Arctic Warfare
The British soldiers, who previously trained in hot climates in Kenya and Morocco, acknowledged the Finns' superior cold-weather skills. «Clearly as a professional army, we have had more time to practice but we also come on the back foot because we don't know the country and the environment as well as them,» Wootton noted.
Rifleman Aaron Hunter, 21, from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, identified the Russian threat as key motivation for the training. «It's a big talking point for the Finns and they think it's a very high-level threat that could be around the corner – who knows?» he explained.
NATO's Extended Northern Border
Finland joined NATO in 2023, extending the alliance's northern border with Russia by more than 800 miles. The nation gained independence from Russia in 1917 and successfully repelled Soviet invasion during the Winter War of 1939-40.
The exercise in Vuosanka, located 400 miles north of Helsinki, tested defense, delaying tactics, night combat, and attack strategies. Commanders monitored both forces' performance in real time throughout the operation.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
