The Finnish Defence Forces (Finnish: Puolustusvoimat; Swedish: Försvarsmakten) is the armed force of Finland, encompassing an army, a navy, and an air force. The Finnish Defence Forces is a cadre army of 16,500, of which 8,700 professional soldiers (officers), with a standard readiness strength of 34,700 people in uniform (27,300 army, 3,000 navy, and 4,400 air force) at time of peace. The expenditure equals about 1.3% of the GDP. A universal male conscription is in place, under which all men above 18 years of age serve from 6 to 12 months. The defence is based on a large trained reserve. After the end of the Cold War, Finland has constantly reduced its military reserve strength, partly due to budget cuts and partly due to a change in the military doctrine. Today the military reserve numbers some 350,000. The Finnish Defence Forces is commanded by the Chief of Defence, who is directly subordinated to the President of the Republic in matters related to the military command. The current Chief of Defence is Admiral Juhani Kaskeala.The Finnish Defence Forces consist of the General Staff and three defence branches:
* Finnish Army (Maavoimat)
* Finnish Navy (Merivoimat)
* Finnish Air Force (Ilmavoimat)
The Border Guard (Rajavartiolaitos) is under the Ministry of the Interior but can be incorporated fully or in part into the defence forces when required by defence readiness.
The Army is divided into three commands (Finnish: maanpuolustusalue) (Western, Eastern and Northern) which bear the command responsibility for all brigade-level units. In addition, the commands direct the local military administration organization consisting of 12 military provinces (Finnish: sotilaslääni). The military provinces are responsible for conscription and management and training of the reserve personnel and the use of war-time local defence units.
The Navy consists of headquarters, supporting elements and two maritime commands (Finnish: meripuolustusalue): Archipelago Sea and Gulf of Finland maritime commands. These commands are brigade-level units responsible for conscript training and the integrity of Finland's territorial waters. They include both ship and coastal units.
The Airforce consists of headquarters, supporting elements and three air commands (Finnish: lennosto): Satakunta, Lapland and Karelia Air Commands. They are responsible for securing the integrity of the Finnish airspace during peace and for conducting aerial warfare independently during a crisis.The Finnish defence forces is based on an universal male conscription. All men above 18 years of age serve either 6, 9 or 12 months. The conscripts first receive basic training, after which they are assigned to various units for special training. Privates who are trained for tasks not requiring special skills serve for 6 months. In technically demanding tasks the time of service is 9, or in some cases 12 months. Those selected for NCO or officer training serve 12 months. At the completion of the service, the conscripts receive a reserve military rank of private, lance corporal, corporal, sergeant or second lieutenant, depending on their training and accomplishments.
Military service can be started after turning 18. The service can be delayed due to studies, work or other personal reasons until the 28th birthday. In addition to lodging, food, clothes and health care the conscripts receive between 3.9 and 9 euros per day, depending on the time they have served. The state also pays for their rent and electricity bills. If the conscripts have families, they are entitled to benefits as well. It is unlawful to fire an employee due to military service. Voluntary female conscripts receive a small additional benefit, because they are expected to provide their own underwear and other personal items.The Finnish military doctrine is based on the concept of total defence. The term total means that all sectors of the government and economy are involved in the defence planning. In principle, each ministry has the responsibility for planning its operations during a crisis. There are no special emergency authorities, such as the US FEMA or Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations. Instead, each authority regularly trains for crises and has been allocated a combination of normal and emergency powers it needs to keep functioning in any conceivable situation. In a war, all resources of the society may be diverted to serve the national survival. The legal basis for such measures is found in the Readiness Act and in the State of Defence Act, which would come into force through a parliamentary decision in a case of a crisis.
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