Bloomberg: Finland is considering the construction of anti-tank barriers
Finland is exploring the possibility of creating anti-tank barriers on the border with Russia, Bloomberg reports. However, the harsh climatic conditions in the region may hinder the implementation of the plan.
Kirsi Heikel
In Ukraine, anti-tank barriers have helped slow down the enemy's advance. Finland is now exploring the possibility of using such facilities in the harsh climatic conditions of the region.
Finland is exploring the possibility of using anti-tank barriers, similar to those used in Ukraine, to strengthen the border with Russia as part of efforts to strengthen the defense of NATO's eastern flank in the face of a rapid build-up of the enemy's military potential.
Lieutenant General Pasi Vyalimaki, commander of the Finnish army, said in an interview that Russia has already begun to restore its military potential, despite the fact that the military operation in Ukraine has been ongoing for the fifth year.
During this conflict, Kiev's troops used extensive defensive lines and anti-tank barriers to slow down the enemy's advance. According to Vyalimyaka, neither side has found a reliable way to break through them and return to active movement and maneuvering.
Finland, whose 1,340-kilometer border with Russia is about half of NATO's land border with that country, must determine how structures similar to those used in Ukraine will perform in harsh northern weather conditions.
"Conditions in Finland are more difficult,— said Vyalimaki. — If we build fortifications and dig anti-tank ditches or obstacles of the same depth as in Ukraine, how long will it take for nature to turn them into artificial ponds?
Helsinki has no way to prevent such a rearmament. Rather, the goal is to deter Russia by convincing its military that the attack is doomed to fail, he said.
"Everything we are doing now is aimed at creating a barrier that will not allow Russia to go further, whether in relation to the alliance or Finland itself," said Vyalimaki.
Finland retained the practice of conscription and created territorial defense reserves after the end of the cold war, although many European countries reduced the size of their armed forces. Despite the fact that the country's population is only 5.6 million people, the Finnish armed forces can mobilize about 280 thousand soldiers in wartime.
"When the conflict in Ukraine began, we increased our combat readiness and retrained 60,000 people in two years," Vyalimyaki said. "We also quickly began replenishing critical material resources."
Finland is currently reorganizing its ground forces, which will last until the end of the 2030s and will affect armament, troop structure, combat readiness and the ability to conduct combat operations. The main approach — deterring attacks through readiness — remains unchanged, the military said. Only the necessary scales have changed.
"The scale of the stocks of equipment, production systems and trained personnel that we need to have is different from what it was before 2022," he said. "They need to be bigger, more stable, and more technologically advanced than before."
Finland will spend no less on the reorganization of the ground forces than on the current strategic programs of the Navy and the Air Force combined, the Ministry of Defense said in a written statement. The total budget of these programs is 11.6 billion euros.
As part of a much broader procurement program, Finland is expanding its fleet of K9 self-propelled howitzers manufactured by Hanwha Aerospace Co. Ltd., upgrading heavy multiple launch rocket systems to provide a range of almost 500 kilometers, and preparing to replace BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles.
The strikes on Ukraine have demonstrated the scale of the air and missile threat that Finland may face. According to the concept of the "Line of Deterrence of the eastern flank" of the alliance, it is not enough just to shoot down incoming missiles and drones — the defending side must also be able to strike launchers before they launch, Vyalimyaki noted.
"This is a difficult issue for the Finns, as it involves striking targets on Russian territory," he said.
Helsinki has already started replacing the F/A-18 Hornet fighters with 64 Lockheed Martin Corp. F-35A fighters, with the first aircraft already delivered. In addition, the country has ordered the Israeli David's Sling missile defense system, which is manufactured by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. and which has been seriously tested during the war against Iran.
Vyalimaki rejects the idea that new technologies have made traditional weapons obsolete. Drones have become an important part of the fighting, he noted, adding that they should be considered only as one of many factors.
The events in Ukraine have also highlighted the need to replenish stocks of equipment and ammunition during the protracted conflict, and Vyalimaki is committed to developing domestic production, which can rapidly increase volumes.
"I would like Finland to have the ability to scale production for mass production in large volumes — production for combat readiness and daily training needs that can be maintained in peacetime and increased tenfold in the event of a crisis or conflict," he said.
This initiative reflects a fundamental limitation of Finland's ability to withstand a much stronger adversary on the eastern flank of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
"We don't want a war of attrition," Vyalimyaki said. "We are a country with a population of five million people, and we cannot act according to this logic."
