The US Department of Defence (DoD) released a video on 16 May described as showing paratroopers practicing live fire on 13 May at an undisclosed location in Norway as part of the major NATO exercise Swift Response.
This is one of many NATO exercises currently taking place in various locations in Europe. NATO said Swift Response and Defender Europe 2022 are the largest of the current exercises, involving more than 18,000 troops from 20 countries.

The exercises are taking place in Poland and eight other countries, according to NATO.

The alliance said 15,000 troops from 14 countries were also currently participating in another exercise called Hedgehog, which is taking place in Estonia and is the largest in that country since 1991.
A fourth exercise, called Iron Wolf, is taking place in Lithuania and involves 3,000 troops and about 1,000 vehicles, the alliance said.

Norway, Denmark and Iceland are working with Sweden and Finland on a joint political declaration that will keep Sweden and Finland safe in the coming months should the countries decide to join the alliance, Norwegian newspaper VG reported.

According to the publication, the declaration will contain political, and possibly military support for the two countries in the so-called grey period and up to official membership.

There is close contact on this issue at the highest political level, the source said.

The countries do not want to call it a guarantee because the absolute security guarantee in the NATO Pact can only apply to member countries. The Scandinavian plan, in which the Norwegian government is actively involved, is to provide Sweden and Finland with a so-called politically binding declaration between three NATO countries and two candidate countries in the Scandinavian region.

Scandinavian governments are concerned about finding a balance between deterring Russia from the threats of Sweden and Finland, and at the same time preventing increased military tensions in the region, the sources said.

The grey period is the time from the moment of applying for membership until the completion of the formal process, when the candidate countries receive a joint NATO security guarantee in accordance with Article 5 of the NATO Treaty, which states that an attack on one member state is considered an attack on all , and everyone has a duty to help defend the country under attack.

Official applications for NATO membership are expected to be submitted by the governments of Finland and Sweden in the coming days.

According to the information of Defence24 Norway is considering handing over some of its self-propelled gun howitzers to Ukraine It is talking about 20 examples of the M109A3GN self-propelled howitzer. Norway currently has 56 howitzerof this type, but only 14 are in the line. The remaining 42 cannon-howitzers are in equipment reserve. Most likely, 20 machines will be selected from it, which will be handed over to Ukraine. This would be the fourth 155 mm self-propelled artillery system proposed to Ukraine, after the German PzH2000, Belgian M109A4BE and French wheeled CAESAR cannon howitzers.

On February 28, 2022, the Norwegian Government allocated around €267 million for humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and provided military equipment such as helmets and bulletproof vests to the war-torn country. Norway has also provided €34 million in humanitarian support in response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine, primarily to the UN Refugee Agency, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund.

In terms of military aid to Ukraine, Norway has already provided the armed forces of Ukraine with 5,000 helmets, 1,500 bullet-proof vests and 1,000 gas masks, 2,000 sleeping bags, 10,000 sleeping pads and 15,000 field rations, 4,000 M72 LAW anti-tank rockets and 100 Mistral air defense missiles and a number of launchers.

The M109A3GN is the Norwegian version of the M109A3G which is a German upgrade of the American M-109A3 armed with a new 39 caliber barrel allowing the firing of improved 155 mm ammunition including high-explosive, illuminating and smoke, all of which can be fired to a maximum range of 24,700 m. Enhanced range projectiles, such as base bleed, can be fired to a range of 30,000 m.

Between 1969 and 1971, Denmark acquired 126 M109Gs from West Germany. They were then upgraded to the M109A3GN configuration during the latter half of the 1980s.

In 2007, 14 of the M109A3GNs received additional upgrades and were designated M109A3GNM. The upgrade includes, among other things, a new intercom and new navigation and positioning systems. The M109A3GNMs are currently the only self-propelled howitzers that remain in active service with the remainder of the M109s having been put in storage.

According to the Military Balance 2021, the Norwegian army has a total of 48 155mm tracked self-propelled howitzers including 24 K9 Thunder from South Korea and 24 M109A3GN that will be soon withdrawn from active service. In December 2019, Norway selected the 24 K9 Thunder, a South Korean-made self-propelled 155 mm howitzer to replace their current M109A3GNMs dating from the 1960s.

Accession to NATO has been discussed in Finland since 1995. Now the country could apply for membership as early as May. Finland is well prepared – and both sides would benefit, says Minna Ålander.

Russia’s attack on Ukraine has changed Finland’s security policy calculations. After the end of the Cold War, two principles were essential for Finnish foreign and security policy: maintaining good relations with Russia on the one hand, and a strong national defence capability on the other hand. The country wanted to be prepared for all eventualities with regard to its eastern neighbour. Already since the annexation of Crimea in 2014, Finland has increasingly strengthened various formats of defence cooperation: bilaterally in ever closer cooperation with Sweden and the US, trilaterally with Norway and Sweden, and by further developing the Nordic defence cooperation. Finland and Sweden are already NATO Enhanced Opportunity Partners. Both countries have a high level of interoperability with NATO structures, which would enable almost immediate operational readiness upon accession.

Historic U-turn in the NATO question

Ever since Finland’s EU accession in 1995, the possibility of NATO membership has also been discussed. Until February 2022 popular support had stagnated at around 20 per cent. Only two parties in the Finnish parliament supported membership: the National Coalition Party and the Swedish People’s Party (the party of the Swedish-speaking minority). Thus, the “NATO option”, a peculiar feature of Finnish foreign and security policy, remained the official line: The country saw no need for full membership but wanted to keep open the option of joining if the security situation changed. Since February, another four parties, including the governing Green Party, have announced their consent to joining NATO. The latest polls have also registered more than 60 per cent approval rates for NATO membership among the population.

On 20 April, the parliamentary debate began on the government report regarding the changed security situation – also called the “NATO Report” – published on 13 April. The Centre Party and the Social Democratic Party – both currently in the governing coalition – still have no official party line. However, their representatives have spoken out in very clear terms in favour of joining NATO. Even the Left Alliance, which has been the most reluctant to support membership, is not uniformly opposed. With the MPs alone who have already signalled their approval, Finland’s accession to the Alliance would have a parliamentary majority. The next step is consultation in the relevant committees.

Because no referendum will be held due to the dynamic situation, the highest possible level of parliamentary consensus is important – but not decisive. Ultimately, the president, together with the government, can initiate the accession process regardless of the status of the parliamentary process. Prime Minister Sanna Marin said at the beginning of the debate that now is the time for decisions. A recommendation from the government to the president to initiate the accession process can thus be expected as early as May.

Why Finland wants to join NATO now

The most important reason for Finland’s desire to go for the “NATO option” now is obvious: Russia as a neighbour can no longer be trusted. This eliminates a central argument that has so far kept Finland from joining: maintaining good relations with Russia. Another aspect that made NATO membership unpopular in Finland was the participation of NATO countries in controversial wars in Afghanistan and Iraq in the early 2000s. However, in view of the threat posed by Russia to the European security order, NATO is returning to its original function as a defence alliance, which is in Finland’s interest. Finland is also aware that it can obtain the security guarantee of NATO collective defence provided by Article 5 only as a full-fledged member. From Finland’s point of view, it makes sense to upgrade the already existing close partnership to full membership and to have a seat at the table where decisions concerning its national security are taken. Moreover, joining NATO is seen as the completion of Finland’s integration with the West.

Finland’s role in NATO

Although Finland is a country of only 5.5 million inhabitants, its armed forces are above average in European comparison. In the event of war, Finland can reach a troop strength of 280,000 and a total reserve strength of up to 870,000. This is because Finland, unlike many EU and NATO countries, never abolished conscription. Moreover, the Finnish armed forces are equipped with modern equipment: A recent example is the government decision of December 2021 to purchase 64 US F-35 fighter jets, which are also to be introduced in Germany. Furthermore, Finnish national defence is based on the “Comprehensive Security” concept, a cooperative security model that covers the civilian population and the economy as well. Finland was already close to meeting NATO’s 2 per cent defence spending target before Russia’s war of aggression and has since announced further substantial increases to its defence budget.

Finland is thus well prepared to defend its 1,343 km border with Russia and to repel any Russian attacks – most likely of a hybrid nature – that are expected to follow its NATO membership application. As a NATO member, Finland would significantly strengthen the regional defence of NATO’s northern flank and play a central role in the defence of the entire Baltic Sea region, including the Baltic States. Ideally, Finland and Sweden would apply for membership together. However, the national decisions will be taken independently of each other. Both sides would profit from Finland and Sweden joining the Alliance: The new members get the additional insurance of NATO’s security guarantee, and NATO gains considerable additional capacity in the Alliance’s northern dimension.