Chief of Finland’s Defence Forces, Vice Admiral Juha Rannikko, has called for a review of funding for Finland’s basic defence duties and programs before the end of the decade.
A reduction in budgetary allocations is threatening the ability of the country’s defence forces to fulfil their duties says defence chief Juha Rannikko.
Speaking during Thursday’s Independence Day parade in Kouvola, southeast Finland, Rannikko said that the defence forces cannot complete their mission if funding remains at levels set for 2015.
“Funding evaluation has resulted in defence force reform at the same time that savings targets cut the defence budget by about ten percent for the period 2012 to 2015,” Rannikko said.
The defence chief said that the three main tasks of the defence forces are to ensure Finland’s military defense, to support other organisations and to participate in international crisis management programmes into the next decade.
During the past year the defence forces have undergone the kind of wide-ranging reforms that are usually implemented during peace time, Rannikko added.
