Maj (Res.) Sven Hugosson                                                               

The Baltic Talks 2004 were held on Sept 9 –12 at the Finnish Defence Forces Education Development Centre in Tusby, north of Helsinki. This event was now arranged for the 7^th  time and has further established its working practices as being informal, but still discussing important aspects of the development of security and defence policies around the Baltic Sea.

As usual, the meeting started with presentations from the host country concerning security policies and military planning. With all countries around the Baltic Sea except Finland and Sweden now being members of NATO, the situation is getting increasingly interesting from a Swedish point-of-view. The countries around the southern perimeter of the Baltic are moving away from conscript and reservist systems – at least it seems so today – while Finland is clearly proud of its conscripts and reservists. Annually, about 29.0000 conscripts are called up, about 34.000 reservists are re-trained plus about 28.000 taking part in voluntary defence training. The system is described as cost effective and as a “social university”. Estonia, on a smaller scale, seems to copy the Finnish system. Also Norway retains its reserve officers, while there seems to be very few of that sort remaining in Denmark.

On a defence budget that is less than half the Swedish one, Finland maintains armed forces consisting of 97 % conscripts and reservists, numbering about 80.000 first line army troops plus about 200.000 regional troops (conscripts after reaching end of first line duty at 35 years). Sweden is planning to mobilize about 35.000 troops. The Finnish Air Force keeps 60 F-18 plus 50 Hawk 51 flying, Sweden will fly about 80-100 JAS Gripen. Both countries have comparable numbers of fighting ships, except that Sweden also operates a couple of submarines. Army equipment is comparable in numbers, except that Finland maintains modern artillery and a very strong anti-aircraft defence around Helsinki. Finnish reservists and conscripts are regularly re-trained, Sweden has cut down most of its training for the time being.

How is this possible? The cost levels in Finland are comparable to Sweden’s. For a Swedish delegate to this meeting, this was the big “eye-opener”. The Finnish CinC, LtGen Kari Rimpi, also thanked his reserve officers for “having saved the country in war and peace”. Finland also maintains larger units (compared to Sweden) abroad on UN or EU duties, and it is clearly stated that this is possible thanks to competent reserve officers, described as “twice a citizen”. The attitude towards reservists is clearly positively different in Finland as compared to most other countries.            

The Finnish defence policies, defined as based on “western values”, centred on military neutrality, was explained. It was stated, however, that changes in the global threat picture and in the security structure within the EU can influence a Finnish decision to join NATO. The cooperation with NATO is described as growing all the time. It was also clearly said that “NATO for a long time will remain the only system for collective defence”. Behind these rather clear statements from the Finnish government lies a bitter experience, also clearly stated: “Every time that a political crisis has hit Finland, we have been left alone, we have learnt to be self-sufficient and have developed a strong will to defend our country”. This is also reflected in the strong development of voluntary defence training in Finland, once again made legal after “re-interpretation in 1990 of the Paris Peace Treaty of 1948” (that is: no more VSB Pact with the Soviet Union).

Working groups were this year dealing mainly with two topics:

* The reserve officer´s role in international military operations

* Defence as part of a democratic society

Discussions were as usual very lively. It is interesting to note, that the openness to discussions has developed very strongly since Baltic Talks started in 1998, especially with our friends from the former “east side”. This is not the place for long deliberations on the results from the working groups, but a summary can be given:

* It will be very difficult for any country to engage in long-term obligations within the EU, UN or NATO for military missions abroad without using reserve personnel. USA in Iraq is a very good example of this.

* The civilian competences of reserve personnel are essential for the success of, among other things, CIMIC operations.

* Reserve officers should aim for an integral and active role in their civilian societies. Engagement in legal political structures is important, also to engage in the public debate on security and defence issues.

* A conscript and reservist system is essential to achieve democratic control of the armed forces in any country.

* New threats are already questioning present military structures and are re-defining the borders between police and military duties. The reserve officer, being “twice a citizen”, can have an important role in bridging the civil-military gap.

* The role of physical training in conscript, recurrent and voluntary training is of importance for the general health picture.

In addition to the conclusions above, it was observed that Latvia stands before large reductions in its armed forces, aiming for a professional army after 2007 with the national guard, Zemessardze, slowly falling apart. Lithuania maintains a debate on keeping the present conscript system or not. Estonia, as mentioned above, will copy the Finnish system on its smaller scale, and develop its national guard, Kaitseliit, to handle regional defence.

It was also concluded that the Baltic Talks should continue in its present informal form, at least until we have completed the “round of nations”. In spite of NATO/CIOR membership for most of the participating groups, there is still a strong wish to have this independent and informal forum. Next year, we expect an invitation to Kiel in late September.

Aside from the BT meetings, the SVEROF delegation had discussions with representatives from a Russian reserve officers group in Kaliningrad, to develop cooperation and assist, if needed, with organisational and training matters. The Russian military attaché to Helsinki was present at the opening session, also the Swedish attaché, and they were asked to assist, if possible, in identifying similar groups in the St Petersburg area. It is all very early days yet, but the interest to establish contacts seem to be growing on the Russian side. First meetings are planned for November 2004 in Stockholm.

The programme included a study visit to the Helsinki Air Defence Regiment, with the interesting observations that the Helsinki area is rather heavily defended by Russian-made mobile anti-air missile batteries plus Swiss-made AA cannon with very high firing rate and very high muzzle velocity. The debates on “new threats” and “risk pictures” and “no war within ten years” can and will go on ad nauseam, but some politicians follow the old maxime: “Si vis pacem, para bellum”. Other politicians seem more likely to follow the principles of the French Royal Court before the revolution: “Apres nous, la deluge”.