Nordic Forces Seek Common Infantry Vehicle Amid Russia Threat

Nordic Forces Seek Common Infantry Vehicle Amid Russia Threat

MG Lars S. Lervik, Commander General of the Norwegian Army, speaks at AUSA2024
Photo by: Carol Guzy for AUSA

For the first time in 500 years, the Nordic nations of Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark are formal military allies. And with an existential threat in the form of an ambitious and pugilistic Russia close at hand, they're taking big steps to standardize their fighting gear and grow their forces.

Speaking Oct. 16 on a panel at the Association of the U.S. Army's Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C., the top military leaders of the four nations discussed their plans to modernize and build in the face of Russian aggression. 

Maj. Gen. Lars Lervik, commander general of the Norwegian Army, revealed that the four nations were planning to invest in a single model of infantry fighting vehicle to support increased joint ground operations. 

“I’m using the term ‘same,’ not identical, but we’re striving more towards [being] as identical as possible,” Lervik said. “We think that it, first of all, makes sense, because you need to fight together. We also believe that it’s going to make sustainment and training, everything better.”

While Denmark and Norway are founding members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, joining at its establishment in 1949, Sweden and Finland are the newest members. Finland joined in March 2023, and Sweden followed suit in April of this year. 

“In 1940 we learned the hard way, there’s a difference between friends and allies, and that’s also been a very, very key element in our defense and security policy since 1949,” Lervik said. “We expect to plan, we expect to fight with our allies.”

All the Nordic militaries are growing. Lervik said Norway planned to triple the size of its force, while Maj. Gen. Jonny Lindfors, commander of the Swedish Army, said his nation was set to double its military.

Lt. Gen. Pasi Välimäki, commander of the Finnish Army, described how modernization efforts that began with the acquisition of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters in 2021 would continue with changes to make force structure more efficient and create more opportunities for joint training and exercises. The Finnish military plans to stand up a multi-corps land component command within two years, he said, further aligning with NATO initiatives and concepts. With an 830-mile shared border with Russia, Finland was a "front line nation" in Europe's defensive posturing, Välimäki said. 

Finland will conduct wargaming in coming weeks regarding the employment of NATO's strategic reserves in the north, he said, and is now participating in mentorship with the Army's 10th Mountain Division in employment of fires and aviation assets.

The military chiefs also cited the State Partnership Program run by the National Guard Bureau as a key opportunity to train with allies and become proficient at fighting in the cold. The program connects individual allied nations with state National Guard components for exchange programs and training. Sweden entered a formal partnership agreement with the New York Guard and Finland did the same with Virginia earlier this year; Norway is a longtime partner of the Minnesota Guard. Denmark is now exploring a similar partnership.

Lervik described the new era of alliance as an opportunity for “State Partnership Program 2.0,” with greater knowledge-sharing and exchange opportunities.

Maj. Gen. Peter Harling Boysen, chief of the Royal Danish Army, said as Denmark modernized in the face of the nearby threat, he saw great value in the State Partnership Program.

“We’re looking so much forward to participating in the SPP program, because I think we can gain from that,” he said. “And hopefully whatever state will chip in and support us will also be able to gain from that.”

— Hope Hodge Seck for AUSA