NATO troops have been training in Finland to seize runways, control of which is necessary for the rapid transfer of troops, writes Business Insider.

The young soldiers are dressed in dark camouflage and their faces are painted with green and black stripes, allowing them to remain unnoticed in the dense forests that are common on NATO's eastern flank.

These are recruits from the 3rd Ranger Company of the Finnish Army's Pori Brigade. They carry anti-tank missile launchers, large mines, and automatic weapons. One soldier looks at a map while another gives instructions over the radio as the unit checks recently captured enemy positions. They are completely invisible from the nearby highway.

Finnish soldiers are conducting reconnaissance, but their enemy is not real. These are exercises designed to respond to the capture of a strategically important airport. This is an extremely important operation, as the capture of airports is an expected part of a potential Russian invasion.

The Lively Sabre 25 exercises, which took place recently over several days in southern Finland, are part of NATO's large-scale Swift Response 25 maneuvers. These maneuvers include a series of joint military exercises and training in the Baltic Sea and Scandinavia, aimed at establishing cooperation between allies and deterring serious military threats from the east.

During the Lively Sabre exercises, the “red team,” made up of Polish paratroopers and Finnish troops, landed on an airstrip in the forest. The paratroopers quickly captured the strategically important airfield to hold it and ensure the arrival of infantry and heavy weapons for a lightning offensive. Russia used similar tactics in 2022 when it fought near Kiev.

The 3rd Ranger Company is part of the “blue team,” consisting entirely of Finnish military personnel. Its task is to hold the bridgehead captured by the enemy and, after concentrating its forces, to liberate the airport. Time is an important factor in this operation.

There are no airborne brigades in the organizational and staffing structure of the Finnish armed forces. Therefore, the exercises provide a good opportunity to practice combat operations against airborne troops and learn a lot from experienced professionals, in this case from the Polish military: how to prepare the landing force, how to establish a perimeter around the airport, and how to defend the captured object. Establishing a bridgehead is not easy, especially now that detection devices and modern air defense systems are widely used, capable of detecting and destroying assault troops even before they land.

“It's extremely difficult. Air defense must be suppressed, air superiority must be ensured. A lot has to be done before the landing can take place,” said Colonel Matti Honko, commander of the Jaeger Guard Regiment and head of the Lively Sabre exercises.

The commander of the Polish Army's 6th Airborne Brigade, Brigadier General Michal Strzelecki, who led the landing, said that conducting such operations has now become even more difficult than in previous years. However, the ability to conduct airborne operations remains very important, especially in the early stages of a conflict, when the enemy's air defenses may be unprepared. The rapid transfer of troops with subsequent deployment can guarantee success.

“Having such capabilities, forces, and assets is extremely important,” Strzelecki said at Puhkää Airport.

It is important to seize the runway and hold those positions. It is equally important to push the enemy out of the airport. NATO knows this because Ukraine demonstrated it three years ago when it engaged in defensive battles with Russian troops that launched a large-scale offensive.

The Russians tried to seize Gostomel airport on the outskirts of Kyiv when they launched an offensive to capture the Ukrainian capital. Capturing the airport would have given Moscow a decisive advantage, as the Kremlin could have begun airlifting additional troops, artillery, and armored vehicles to strike Kiev from close range.

Russian helicopters carrying assault troops carried out the first attack but met fierce resistance from Ukrainian forces. After several hours of fierce fighting and counterattacks, Kiev regained control of the airport.

The Swift Response 25 exercises, which are part of the US Army's series of summer exercises with NATO allies, are being organized in response to the North Atlantic Alliance's growing concern about Russia and its actions in Europe, which Western leaders have called aggressive and malicious.

Allies, especially those on NATO's northern and eastern flanks, such as the Baltic states, are closely monitoring the course of military operations in Ukraine. They are working hard to enhance their defense capabilities by increasing military spending, purchasing weapons, and strengthening their borders.

 European countries are also concerned about how reliable the United States is in the current circumstances. Finland joined NATO just over two years ago, and Poland has been a member of the alliance for over 20 years. Both countries share a border with Russia and are therefore very important to the alliance as frontline states. They are also well aware of the extent of the Russian threat.

Strzelecki said that the Lively Sabre exercises help the Polish military establish cooperation with the Finnish army.

“Finland is a new member of the alliance and we want to interact with them, we want to train with them, we want to share our experience and also learn from the Finnish army,” he explained, adding: “The Finns have a rich tradition of defending themselves against possible aggression from a neighbor.”

Indeed, Russia has recently increased its military presence along the 1,300-kilometer border with Finland. If clashes between NATO and Moscow begin, this region could become an important hot spot.

Honko said that Finland's accession to NATO in 2023 has already raised the threat level, and exercises such as Lively Sabre have become a key element of the deterrence necessary to prevent a real war. І BGNES