Finland’s 2024 defense budget targets arms restocking, border security

HELSINKI — Finland’s 2024 defense budget is primed to include funds meant to strengthen the country’s 830-mile-long border with Russia as well as replenish military equipment and weapons supplied to Ukraine over the last two years.

The budget, which is on course to be ratified by the end of October, puts defense spending at about €6.2 billion (U.S. $6.6 billion) — a nearly 5% rise from 2023. The Defence Ministry approved the draft budget with amendments in September.

The elevated level of spending is directly linked to Finland’s accession to NATO as well as heightened tension in the region following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The expected budget increases Finland’s defense spending to 2.3% of its gross domestic product, lifting it above NATO’s 2% goal for member states.

A border-reinforcement plan embedded in the 2024 budget includes the construction of 125 miles of so-called smart fencing supported by advanced sensors and drones operated by the Finnish Border Guard. The smart fence, erected at strategic points along the Finnish-Russian border, costs between $400 million and $500 million.

The budget also includes a $272 million reimbursement to the ministry to cover the cost of replacing military equipment and weapons donated to Ukraine. The formalized budget will provide the Finnish military with $1.6 billion to spend on materiel procurement in 2024.

Finnish Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen described the budget increase as “fundamental to national security and enhancing defense capability.”

“We cannot ignore how the war instigated by Russia has changed the security landscape in our Nordic region and in the wider neighborhood. The world around Finland is becoming an increasingly dangerous place. Despite Finland’s economic challenges, we are now part of NATO and with membership comes added costs and responsibilities,” Häkkänen said.

Although Russia’s defense-industrial base is in overdrive and the country is expanding its military bases along Finland’s border, Häkkänen said the government does not feel under threat.

Russia’s Alakurtti base, which is east of the Finnish border region of Lapland, houses the Russian Army’s arctic motor rifle brigade. And construction efforts at the Petrozavodsk base, south of Alakurtti, include work on a large military storage site and new buildings to house tanks, armored transport vehicles and mobile artillery pieces.

Based on Finnish Army intelligence, movements to and from Petrozavodsk suggest the base is being used as a regional depot to deliver equipment to Russian front-line motorized brigade forces attacking Ukraine.

“Russia repeatedly warned us that it would strengthen its near-border bases if Finland joined NATO. We are not surprised by these activities. Our intelligence is that these new structural works at military bases are part of normal Russian operations. We do not believe they pose a threat,” Häkkänen said.

Finland spent about $3.87 billion on defense in 2020, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, which cites the figures in current prices, converted at the exchange rate for the given year.

The next year, Finland spent about $3.8 billion on defense, followed by $4.8 in 2022, the Swedish think tank reported. Its 2023 defense budget was about $6.3 billion.

Gerard O'Dwyer is the Scandinavian affairs correspondent for Defense News.

赫尔辛基——芬兰2024年的国防预算预计将包括用于加强该国与俄罗斯长达830英里的边界的资金，以及用于补充过去两年向乌克兰提供的军事装备和武器的资金。

该预算案预计将于10月底获得批准，其中国防开支约为62亿欧元（66亿美元），比2023年增长近5%。国防部已于9月批准了经修订的预算草案。

芬兰支出水平的提高与芬兰加入北约以及俄罗斯于 2022 年 2 月全面入侵乌克兰后该地区紧张局势的加剧直接相关。

预计预算将使芬兰的国防开支占国内生产总值的2.3%，超过北约成员国2%的目标。

2024年预算中包含一项边境加固计划，其中包括建造125英里长的所谓智能围栏，该围栏将由芬兰边防部队操作的先进传感器和无人机提供支持。这条智能围栏将建在芬兰-俄罗斯边境的战略要点，耗资4亿至5亿美元。

该预算还包括向国防部支付2.72亿美元，用于支付更换捐赠给乌克兰的军事装备和武器的费用。正式预算将为芬兰军方提供16亿美元，用于2024年的物资采购。

芬兰国防部长安蒂·哈卡宁称，增加预算“对国家安全和增强国防能力至关重要”。

“我们不能忽视俄罗斯挑起的战争如何改变了我们北欧地区乃至更广泛周边地区的安全格局。芬兰周边的世界正变得越来越危险。尽管芬兰面临经济挑战，但我们现在是北约成员国，而成员国身份意味着额外的成本和责任，”哈卡宁说道。

尽管俄罗斯的国防工业基础正在高速发展，并且该国正在芬兰边境沿线扩建军事基地，但哈卡宁表示，芬兰政府并不感到受到威胁。

位于芬兰边境拉普兰地区以东的俄罗斯阿拉库尔蒂基地，驻扎着俄罗斯陆军的北极摩托化步兵旅。而在阿拉库尔蒂以南的彼得罗扎沃茨克基地，建设工程包括建造大型军用仓库和用于存放坦克、装甲运输车和移动火炮的新建筑。

根据芬兰陆军的情报，进出彼得罗扎沃茨克的动向表明，该基地被用作区域仓库，向进攻乌克兰的俄罗斯前线摩托化旅部队运送装备。

“俄罗斯曾多次警告我们，如果芬兰加入北约，它将加强其在边境附近的军事基地。我们对此并不感到意外。我们的情报显示，这些军事基地的新建设工程是俄罗斯正常行动的一部分。我们认为它们不会构成威胁，”哈卡宁说道。

根据斯德哥尔摩国际和平研究所的数据，芬兰在 2020 年的国防开支约为 38.7 亿美元。该研究所引用的数字是按当前价格计算的，并按当年的汇率进行了换算。

据瑞典智库报告，芬兰次年国防开支约为38亿美元，2022年为48亿美元。其2023年国防预算约为63亿美元。

杰拉德·奥德怀尔是《防务新闻》的斯堪的纳维亚事务记者。