Finnish soldiers train to sleep in snow caves as drone threats make heated tents too risky

Finnish troops are adapting to drone warfare by avoiding heated tents and hiding thermal signatures, as drones revolutionise ground combat tactics, reports Finnish broadcaster Yle. The changes come amid NATO’s Cold Response exercises in central Lapland, where extreme cold and drone vulnerabilities are reshaping military training.

Soldiers now conceal heat traces and avoid using tent stoves, forcing some to sleep in snow caves or under thermal blankets. “The readiness unit conscripts are already well-practised at operating without stoves, and in February we also trained overnight stays in snow caves,” said Colonel Marko Kivelä, commander of the Jaeger Brigade leading the exercise. He noted that Finnish troops have developed high-level skills in thermal camouflage.

Drones have transformed ground warfare by making aerial threats more pervasive, requiring new defensive strategies. At the Rovajärvi training site, troops focus on hiding command posts, masking equipment, and minimising radio traffic. French mountain brigade scout “Vince,” accustomed to tented operations, admitted the Arctic conditions—where temperatures swing between -20°C and damp zero—present new challenges. “Drones have changed everything,” he said, adding that heaters are forbidden to avoid detection by thermal cameras.

Icy weather grounds drones, while electronic jamming offers defence

Major Jukka Pajula of the Jaeger Brigade demonstrated drone countermeasures, including smart rifle scopes that calculate lead points for hitting moving targets. “Hitting a moving drone is far harder than a stationary one, so we first immobilise it with a jamming transmitter,” he explained. Electronic warfare can also disrupt drone control signals and GPS navigation.

Yet drones remain vulnerable to Arctic conditions. Freezing fog at Rovajärvi caused several quadcopters to crash due to iced propellers. “We recognise how cold affects drones, but that can also work to our advantage—adversaries face the same difficulties,” Kivelä noted.

Swedish forces deployed a mobile field howitzer equipped with a remote-controlled machine gun for drone defence. Lieutenant Erik Linzen, commanding the artillery battery, confirmed drones are used in the exercise for reconnaissance and route planning—but without explosives. “Attacks are simulated and halted at a safe distance, with referees confirming virtual hits,” Kivelä said.

Finland to train conscripts in attack drone use as threats evolve

Finland will begin training conscripts to operate explosive-carrying micro-drones this year, expanding on existing instruction in reconnaissance and targeting. Lightweight counter-drone devices to detect and disrupt signals are already in use.

Despite drones’ prominence in Ukraine’s defence against Russia, Brigadier General Manu Tuomisen—leading Finnish troops in the exercise—dismissed suggestions that Finland’s fighter jet purchases were misguided. “Drones are an addition, not a replacement, for other capabilities,” he said, adding that NATO has prioritised drone defence development in recent years.

Finland’s drone fleet remains limited but is set to grow in 2024. “Drones evolve rapidly, so we’re acquiring modest quantities to gain experience before scaling up,” Kivelä said.