Finnish Daily Helsingin Sanomat, has done an interresting bit about Minister of Defense, Dr Jussi Niinistö. Here mr Niinistö tells that Finland will be stepping up the wartime strenghts. This will not be in “operational forces” but in “Local Forces” ie. local reservists who know their area of operations and people in the area. This has been a bit of “dad’s army”, but they will be getting new equipment regardless of HX-FRP and Navy’s squadron 2020 programs. These are the troops most useful against “little green men” and other forms of hybrid warfare. This is a bit after the fact as Russian special forces have kidnapped two Russian children (two passport) back to Russia after their parent ran afoul with child social services in Finland. This merely confirms the assumptions that Speznaz have been active in Finland in the past.

Another welcome news is that reserves can now be called up without prior notice if needed, though I think that in courtesy the usual three month head’s up time is still observed. BUT snap drills could, and fun there of, could be held in Finland as well. Also the nominal call-up days have been doubled. They used to run 40 days for rank and file, 75 days for special trained men and 100 days for NCOs and officers. Even though these have never, in practice, been exhausted. (well, some pals of mine have had 160 days of refresments in five years, on their own time. NOW that is dedication!)  As rank and file transfer into “militia 1st class” at fifty, So for average guy who gets out of army at 19 this would mean 80 days/31 years so about 2,5 days a year. In practice this should be 5 days in every two years, but unless reserve training is stepped up significantly from about 18 000 men a year to something in order of 100 000 a year this will not happen. (The training organization just isn’t big enough.)

edit. 15.12.2016. Strenght will go up by 50 000, but it is a step into the right direction, and Finland will re-introduce anti personnel mines. Says it HERE.

So, good news for all around, eh?