Finnish army thread

[Gollevainen]

Now as there was some promising discussion about the newest finnish FAc Hamina, but in the wrong place so here's the proper place for it...

As i gave the info on the ship i didn't mentioned about the umkhonto SAM system wich is Souht african VLS system for IR holming missile here's a Denel's add on the system:

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Also as it was mentioned, A swedish 57mm DP is fitted to the seccond and third hulls (Tornio and Hanko) and Hamina will be retro-fitted whit the similar gun in the future.

One interesting point in Hamina is that it is part of the new "squardon-2000" wich orginally would have consisted of two Hamina class missile FACs and four Tuuli class missile aircushion vessels...

But the use of aircuhsion vessels was cancelled in finnish navy and this truly revolutionar ship was left whitout users and is now tryed to be sold. It was the first time when missileboat and aircushion vessels where succesfully united but sadly the whole process was useless...what a waste...

 

[tphuang]

FAC Hamina looks pretty sweet.

 

[Delphi84]

Hi Gollevainen,
I'm delphinus84 of the previous un upgraded version of the Sino defense forum. Good to hear and understand abt the conscript system of the other country. Just a question, Finland navy main surface combatant is the FAC. But the FAC seems quite poor in terms of air defense and anti sub capabilities why? The D-30 u talking abt is used for training purposes, then wat is the usual things u use for combat. Hmmm..... the winter training looks fun, definitely better than the usual sweltering heat of the tropic, wat u think isit better? Btw, I hear Singapore is attempting to market the Bronco All terrain tracked vehicle to Finland, any latest news?

 

[Gollevainen]

But the FAC seems quite poor in terms of air defense and anti sub capabilities why?

Well all finnish FACs have the mistral capapility and these new ones have the Ukhomoto VLS system. No real fleet defence capapility is needed as the finnish navy is supposedly to operate inside the normal airdefence network.

When judging the antisub capapilityes you must remember that Finnish navys operational area is very shallow waters so the existing sonarsystems are adequate. There's no need for VDS or more complicated systems. Also it must be remembered that the main weapon of our navy is Mines.

The D-30 u talking abt is used for training purposes, then wat is the usual things u use for combat

It depends on where you serve. Our Karelian artillery regiment used mainly 155K98 (wich is also my wartime piece) wich is 155mm/52 cal Gun-howitser, the newest of our weapon manufacturing...Its older version 155K83 was also used tough i never had to. 155K98 is also used by the Kainuu's brigade. We have some Soviet D-20s and Hyacint-Bs tough sole SP pieces are in the Amoured Brigade (2S1 and 2S5s)

the winter training looks fun, definitely better than the usual sweltering heat of the tropic, wat u think isit better?

Trust me, freezing in -20 degree isen't fun...You've propaply never heard of cross-country skiing?....but as we artillery mens say, we don't tolerate cold nor hot and we tend to disalike all other climats as well....

Btw, I hear Singapore is attempting to market the Bronco All terrain tracked vehicle to Finland, any latest news?

I've actually haven't heard about it...i'll try to dig something out....

 

[Lavi]

Is there a third Hamina-class hull? That one I've never heard of. Gollevainen, did I overlook it or did you leave out Uudenmaan Prikati? That's where Finns practice fighting in the archipelago.

And to anyone who hasn't tried it: the Finnish winter is not that fun when reaching really low temperatures, and trying to fight in -20 or -30 degrees doesn't make it any any nicer. Not to mention serving in the navy with the ice-cold wind and water.

 

[Gollevainen]

did I overlook it or did you leave out Uudenmaan Prikati? That's where Finns practice fighting in the archipelago.

You overlooked it, it is mentioned in the naval section

 

[Lavi]

You are right, my apologies. Btw, what is the proper English word for the 'Jääkärit', is it rangers?

 

[Gollevainen]

Jaeger migth be offical translation from the german word which from the finnish term is corrupted. In other old military traditions such as french and British, proper term migth be grenadier or something like that. In the past, when jaegers moved whit bicycles, ligth infantry migth have been proper term but nowadays, mechanised or motorised infantry would be most accurate (thus making Parola's brigades panssarikeiju's to be called 'amoured infantry' which is rather weird term in international level)
Recon troops of jaeger battalions or those Utti's hat-hat-hat men could be called as 'rangers'

 

[President]

hello, how many soldiers in Fin Amry? and how many population in Finland?
the FAC is so cute. does finland produce their own weapon system or use euro standard? more picture please.

 

[Gollevainen]

Well the strength can be found on the first page of this thread as it presents the finnish military in general. But in summary, we have some 33,000 men during peacetime and something like 27,000 of these are conscripts serving 6 months to twelve months according their rank or duty. During wartime we can mobilize army up to 700,000 men but the current mobilization plans calls something like 350,000 mens. These are quite good from population of 5 million.
As the mainpost indicates, we produce quite much of our military hardware domestically and those that are too sophisticated, have been bougth abroad, usually balanced between late-Soviet Union and western non-allied nations such as switzerland and sweeden. Now adays our politicans tend to follow the general trends in Eu and lots of our latest purchases are parel whit other EU powers such as Nh-90 helicopters.