Finland will increase the maximum age of reservists to 65 years and plans to have a reserve of one million by 2031. The aim of the measure is to strengthen the country’s defense readiness.
Finland announced on Monday that it will raise the upper age limit for army reservists from 60 to 65 starting next year. The aim is to strengthen Finland’s military preparedness against any threat from neighboring Russia. This was reported by the AFP agency, writes TASR.
- Finland will raise the age limit for army reserves to 65.
- The aim is to increase military preparedness against threats.
- The change will increase the number of reservists by 125,000 people.
- Finland currently has 900,000 people in reserve.
- The country became a member of NATO in 2023.
Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen explained that after the change in the law, Finland will have about 125,000 more people available to call up into the army within five years. By 2031, the number of reservists should reach approximately one million.
Reservists and conscripts
Finland currently has about 900,000 people in reserve. In the event of a war, the army would be able to deploy approximately 280,000 soldiers.
Military service in Finland is compulsory for all men over the age of 18, it is voluntary for women. Conscripts can serve for six, nine or 12 months – depending on the type of training.
Russia and NATO
Finland shares a long border with Russia and became a member of the NATO alliance in April 2023 after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In December 2023, it also closed the border with Russia because it suspected it of trying to destabilize the country through the difficult-to-control arrival of illegal migrants.
