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politics
NATO Forward Land Forces HQ to Northern Finland
Rovaniemi, Northern Finland, has been chosen as the location for NATO Forward Land Forces Multinational Staff Element.
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Finland has chosen to establish NATO’s Forward Land Forces (FLF) Multinational Staff Element (MNSE) in Rovaniemi.
The news was announced by the Finnish Ministry of Defence this week.
NATO in Arctic Finland
As HNN has reported on, NATO is currently establishing a military presence in Finland, part of the Alliance’s Forward Land Forces (FLF), which will contribute to strengthen NATO’s deterrence and defence in the High North and the Artic region.
The Finnish Jaeger Brigade will host this force, which will be located in both Sodankylä and Rovaniemi.
Sweden has moreover taken the role as the framework nation for FLF, while the United Kingdom, France and the Nordic countries Denmark, Norway and Iceland have announced their participation.
Permanent presence
The Multinational Staff Element in Rovaniemi will form the Forward Land Forces' permanent presence in Northern Finland, and its structure will evolve in the coming years.
“Earlier we succeeded in securing the support of our Allies for our approach to FLF Finland. The implementation of that model has progressed well," says Finnish Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen in a press release.
"The focus of FLF Finland’s battlegroup activities will be in Northern Finland and, largely supported by Rovaniemi and Sodankylä. Considering the synergies and the ability to support the activities, Rovaniemi is the best location for a permanent FLF Staff Element in Finland," he adds.
According to Häkkänen the Staff Element should eventually have a few dozen employees.
NATO and the Nordic region
In addition to FLF Finland, NATO has also established the Alliance's Multi-Corps Land Component Command Northwest in Mikkeli, Finland.
The new regional NATO land command was inaugurated in October 2025 and is to strenghten NATO's defense in the High North as well as increase security in Finland.
NATO's new regional air operations center was furthermore opened in Bodø, Northern Norway, in October 2025. This center has a particular responsibility for the command and control of the airspace in the Nordic region and the High North.
The Swedish city of Enköping is to host NATO's regional logistics headquarters.
In December 2025, NATO updated the geographic boundaries used to coordinate NATO's military activities. This means that all of the Nordic countries are now officially placed under NATO's Joint Force Command Norfolk, which has a specific responsibility in the North Atlantic and the High North.
"This realignment reflects the geopolitical significance of the region, the evolving security environment, the accession of Finland and Sweden, and NATO’s continued commitment to safeguarding the Arctic and the High North," NATO states in a news release.