Finland plans to double or triple professional special forces course size

The Finnish Defence Forces plans to double or possibly triple the size of its course for professional special forces soldiers compared with the period before Finland joined NATO, special Jaeger Battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel Hannu Mutanen told Yle. The military has not disclosed exact numbers.

Applications are open until the end of November, with two rounds of selection tests due early next year. A record 230 people applied last year, and Mutanen expects a similar number this year.

Applicants must have reserve officer or non-commissioned officer training, be under 30 unless there are special grounds for an exception, and meet medical and fitness requirements. They must also have good eyesight and hearing, be able to swim at least 200 metres, have moderate skiing ability and run at least 3,000 metres in a 12-minute test. A category B driving licence, a clean criminal record and consent to drug testing are also required.

Finland has two professional special forces units. The Special Jaeger Company is based at the Utti Jaeger Regiment in Kouvola. The Special Operations Detachment, which focuses on maritime operations, is also part of the regiment and has its operational base at Upinniemi in Kirkkonummi.

Training with NATO allies has become routine, with joint exercises held almost every week. They include weapons and marksmanship training, reconnaissance and combat tasks, and cooperation with helicopters, Mutanen said.

Special forces are among the first units sent out in a crisis and can be ready to move within hours or even minutes, depending on the distance. Mutanen said the possibility of a crisis has increased because of the global situation.

The regiment will also expand its conscript training in unmanned systems, including drones. Company-level training is due to begin in 2028. Mutanen said unmanned systems have already been part of special forces training for some time, including a major role in a parachute Jaeger course final exercise last May.

Interest in conscript special forces training has also risen. More than 700 people applied to become parachute Jaegers in the latest application round, but only slightly more than one in ten passed the tests and were admitted. Mutanen said the regiment could not train more without compromising quality, and that its current intake was enough to provide a sufficient reserve.

The Defence Forces hires graduates of the professional special forces course for vacant professional non-commissioned officer positions. Jobs are initially fixed-term, but the military aims to make them permanent. Mutanen recalled that three people from the previous course moved directly to other fields, including the rescue service, police training and the cadet school.