Overview
- About 50 soldiers from the British Army’s 3 Rifles completed six weeks of Arctic preparation in Finland, training in temperatures as low as minus 28C.
- The contingent joined roughly 3,000 Finnish conscripts, reservists and regulars from the Kainuu Brigade for Operation Northern Ax.
- The five-day, continuous simulation tested defensive, delaying, night-fighting and offensive tactics, with commanders tracking units in real time.
- Preparation focused on survival and movement in extreme cold, including icy-water immersion, frostbite prevention and skiing with weapons.
- The drills took place in the Vuosanka forests about 20 miles from Russia, as Finland, a NATO member since 2023, leans on compulsory service to sustain a large reserve and has heightened concern over Moscow following the war in Ukraine and recent rhetoric.