MADRID, Sep. 4 (EUROPA PRESS TELEVISION) –
British troops have participated in the Vigilant Knife military exercise with the Swedish and Finnish Armed Forces, in order to strengthen “interoperability” between the armies in the context of the war in Ukraine.
This joint exercise was carried out between August 29 and September 2 in Rovaniemi and Rovajarvi, in northern Finland. 200 professionals and 1,300 Finnish recruits and reservists would have taken part, as well as close to 900 Swedish and 80 British soldiers, according to Finnish channel Yle.
“The novelty is that Sweden has handed over its troops to the command of the Finnish Army. This has never happened before in military exercises,” Arto Hirvela, chief of staff of the Kainuu Brigade, of the Finnish Armed Forces, told the aforementioned chain.
The UK Ministry of Defense has indicated that this program offers a strengthening of “interoperability”, according to the BBC, since both Nordic countries are in the process of joining NATO.
Along these lines, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace has reiterated British support for the inclusion of Stockholm and Helsinki to join the Atlantic Alliance. “As long as there is a war in Europe, it is more important than ever to strengthen our international alliances,” he said.
Likewise, the British Defense portfolio has pointed out the importance of the operation, describing it as an “invaluable opportunity” for the United Kingdom.
“Exercise Vigilant Knife is an invaluable opportunity for UK personnel to develop their skills and experience in warfare in cold weather conditions, enabling them to be effective on the battlefield alongside their Finnish and Swedish counterparts,” Wallace explained.
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