Fin Military - 2022

Military and security forces

Finnish Defense Forces (FDF): Army (Maavoimat), Navy (Merivoimat), Air Force (Ilmavoimat); Ministry of the Interior: Border Guard (Rajavartiolaitos) (2022)

note: the Border Guard becomes part of the FDF in wartime

Military expenditures

2% of GDP (2021 est.)

1.5% of GDP (2020)

1.4% of GDP (2019) (approximately $4.18 billion)

1.4% of GDP (2018) (approximately $4.02 billion)

1.3% of GDP (2017) (approximately $3.8 billion)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 22,000 active duty personnel (15,000 Army; 4,000 Navy; 3,000 Air Force) (2022)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military's inventory consists of a wide mix of mostly modern US, European, and domestically-produced weapons systems; since 2010, the US has been the leading supplier; the Finnish defense industry produces a variety of military equipment, including wheeled armored vehicles and naval vessels (2022)

Military service age and obligation

at age 18, all Finnish men are obligated to serve 5.5-12 months of service within a branch of the military or the Border Guard (length of service depends on the type of duty), and women 18-29 may volunteer for service; there is also an option to perform non-military service which lasts for 8.5 or 11.5 months; after completing their initial conscript obligation, individuals enter the reserves and remain eligible for mobilization until the age of 50 for rank-and-file and 60 for non-commissioned and commissioned officers (2022)

note 1: the military trains approximately 21,000 (20,000 Army) conscripts each year; as of 2019, women made up about 4% of the military's full-time personnel

note 2: Finland has had conscription since 1951

Military deployments

160 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (May 2022)

Military - note

Finland is not a member of NATO, but Finland and NATO have actively cooperated in peace-support operations, exercised together, and exchanged analysis and information; Finland joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace program in 1994; Finnish Armed Forces participated in NATO-led military operations and missions in the Balkans, Afghanistan, and Iraq; Finland applied for NATO membership in May 2022

Finland is a signatory of the EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) and actively participates in CSDP crisis management missions and operations

the Finnish Armed Forces closely cooperate with the militaries of other Nordic countries through the Nordic Defense Cooperation (NORDEFCO), which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden; areas of cooperation include armaments, education, human resources, training and exercises, and operations; NORDEFCO was established in 2009 (2022)