Finland starts large-scale military drills

Two major military exercises have begun in Finland at the Rovajärvi training area in Lapland.

"Around 8,000 troops will take part in the Lightning Strike 23 exercise which started on Monday [May 15] and the Northern Forest 23 manoeuvre, which will begin in a fortnight, including more than a thousand from the US, UK, Sweden and Norway," Finland's STT news agency reported.

In addition to the Defence Forces' ground troops, the Finnish Air Force and Border Guard will participate in the exercise.

Foreign troops are particularly armed with British Warrior infantry fighting vehicles, Swedish CV90 (or Stridsfordon 90) armoured combat vehicles, and the US multiple-launch rocket launchers (MLRS).

According to the NATO website, Finland became NATO's newest member today (4 April 2023), upon depositing its instrument of accession to the North Atlantic Treaty with the United States at NATO Headquarters in Brussels.