Allied Command Transformation hosted a Finnish Defence and Industry Day on 21 November. The Finnish Ministry of Defence convened defence and industry senior leaders, and Allied Command Transformation staff, to explore how Finland could contribute to Alliance transformation and learn more about NATO priorities in implementation of Multi-Domain Operations Concept. The visit reflected Finland’s whole-of-society approach to security and its commitment as a new NATO member nation to strengthen Alliance readiness, responsiveness and resilience.
Why It Mattered
Finland has a mature total defence model that connects government, industry, and civil society. The visit offered a practical exchange with Allied Command Transformation on how such an approach could help the Alliance move faster, from concept to capability, in support of an Alliance that conducts Multi-Domain Operations by 2030. The discussions also framed how Allied Command Transformation enables nations and industry to align effort, share lessons, and scale what works across NATO.
On The Day
Finnish Defence and industry leaders received briefs from Allied Command Transformation experts on current priorities across capability development and warfare development. Sessions covered the operational problem set that Multi-Domain Operations aims to solve, the importance of data-centric approaches, and the value of experimentation and exercises to drive learning. Leaders from ten Finnish defence-connected companies were among the attendees. They took turns briefing Allied Command Transformation on what they could provide in each topic area, outlining practical avenues for integration and future scale. The programme concluded with a roundtable discussing follow-on engagement between Finland, Allied Command Transformation, and Allied industry networks.
This approach brought a single national team of policy and industry leaders into the same room with Allied Command Transformation, which created a shared picture of needs, constraints, and opportunities. It cut through the usual sequence of separate visits and briefings, so ideas travelled faster from concept to practical pathway. It also allowed Allied Command Transformation to measure Alliance priorities against real national strengths and supply chains, then shape next steps that both sides could act on.
Voices From the Visit
Permanent Secretary Esa Pulkkinen, Ministry of Defence of Finland, stated: Finnish expertise and professionalism bring added value to NATO. As a new member, Finland has secured access and is grateful about the key NATO positions in Norfolk where options on NATO’s future direction are being developed. The Norfolk headquarters play a central role in maintaining and developing deterrence and defence – both for the Alliance as a whole and as essential addition to Finland’s national whole of government approach to security.”
Admiral Pierre Vandier, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, added: “ To remain credible and ready for the challenges of this decade, the Alliance must continue to adapt at pace. Allied Command Transformation is here to help nations make the best choices, grounded in evidence, experimentation, and close cooperation with industry, so they can meet their NATO Defence Planning Process targets and contribute to an Alliance capable of conducting Multi-Domain Operations by 2030. Finland’s strong commitment to societal resilience is a model for the Alliance, and its whole-of-society approach will be invaluable as we strengthen NATO’s collective readiness.”
Outcomes and Next Steps
The visit strengthened mutual understanding of how Finland’s total defence model can complement Allied Command Transformation lines of effort, especially where nations and industry come together to prototype, test, and scale solutions. Allied Command Transformation facilitates the capability development efforts of all Allies on their journey towards conducting Alliance Multi-Domain Operations. The Finnish Defence and Industry Day offers a clear example of how one ally can strengthen collective efforts across NATO. Allied Command Transformation welcomes Finland’s strong commitment to meeting its NATO Defence Planning Process Capability Targets, and more broadly, to delivering a Multi-Domain Operations-enabled Alliance. Discussion and topics of the day will continue later this year, when Admiral Vandier conducts his first visit to Finland, hosted by the Finnish Chief of Defence, General Janne Jaakkola.
