Sweden and Finland form a new rapid reaction brigade near the Russian border

Sweden and Finland have jointly established a new rapid response brigade with around four to five thousand soldiers, which will be stationed in the northern Finnish region of Lapland.

According to the newspaper Iltalehti, the mechanized Norrbotten Brigade from Sweden forms the core of the new unit. It specializes in combat operations in winter conditions and consists of five battalions and support units.

In addition to Swedish and Finnish soldiers, troops from Norway and Denmark will also be part of the brigade, giving it a predominantly Scandinavian character.

The headquarters will be located in the cities of Rovaniemi and Sodankylä. Swedish Archer self-propelled howitzers have already been deployed to the region.

In the event of armed conflict, the brigade will be supported from the air by the British Air Force with Eurofighter and F-35 fighter jets and Apache helicopters. According to reports, the operational plan has already been approved by NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Alexus G. Grynkewich. The first joint training exercise is to take place at the Rovajärvi training center.

(mja)