High North News

Live-fire exercises to start soon in Finnish Lapland

Astri Edvardsen
northern finland live-fire exercise lightening strike finnish lapland northern spike rovajärvi

During the period October 30 to November 19, two live-fire exercises will be conducted at the Rovajärvi shooting and training range in Lapland, Northern Finland.

First, the Northern Spike anti-tank missile exercise will be held. From November 9, the international artillery exercise Lightening Strike will follow.

The exercise activity will involve a total of around 4,100 people: soldiers from seven units of the Finnish Army, personnel from the Finnish Border Guard and allied troops from Germany, Norway, Sweden, Latvia and the Netherlands.

"The use of fires plays a major role on the modern battlefield. Training joint fires especially with Allied troops enhances interoperability and strengthens Finland’s defence in a considerable way," says the Commandant of the Finnish Army Academy, Colonel Timo Hänninen, who will lead the exercises.

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    The Lapland Rescue Department in northern Finland is acquiring three new drones costing around 8,000 euros each to upgrade its equipment, according to the Finnish public broadcaster Yle.

    The new drones feature improved weather resistance, more advanced cameras, a thermal imaging camera, and automated search capabilities that allow the crew to focus on analyzing the footage rather than piloting the aircraft.

    The drones are used for a wide range of tasks, from smoke detection and fire localization to searching for missing persons. Additionally, they are equipped with useful accessories such as spotlights and loudspeakers to deliver instructions during rescue operations.

    As part of a new pilot project, the rescue department will also test a release mechanism that allows drones to drop self-inflating lifebuoys directly to people requiring assistance in the water.

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