The decision strengthens Rovaniemi’s position as a key actor in northern security and international cooperation, says the Mayor of Rovaniemi.
A multinational staff element of NATO’s Forward Land Forces (FLF) will be stationed in Rovaniemi. The decision was announced by the Ministry of Defence on Monday, 16 February 2026.
The staff element to be located in Rovaniemi will form the permanent presence of FLF Finland in Northern Finland.
Mayor of Rovaniemi, Ulla-Kirsikka Vainio, commented on the decision:
“We warmly welcome the headquarters to Rovaniemi,” Vainio says.
According to Vainio, the decision strengthens Rovaniemi’s position as a key actor in northern security and international cooperation.
“NATO complements Finland’s comprehensive security in sparsely populated Lapland with its long distances. It brings security and stability both to those living in the North and to the operating environment of businesses.”
According to Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen, Rovaniemi is the best location in Finland for a permanent FLF headquarters due to its overall impact and support capabilities.
According to the Ministry of Defence’s press release, the peacetime strength of the multinational staff element will be on a similar scale to the NATO headquarters in Mikkeli, with a target personnel strength of a few dozen employees. The staff element will be permanently stationed in Finland, while troops will be present in the country on an exercise basis or as required by the security situation. The FLF is part of NATO’s operational planning and peacetime tasks related to collective defence. In Finland, operations will involve the framework nation Sweden as well as United Kingdom, Italy, France, Denmark, Norway and Iceland.
Mayor Vainio emphasized that Rovaniemi is already a highly international city thanks to tourism as well as its international university, research activities and students. The city has strong capabilities to receive international troops and their families.
“We have international services, including English-language early childhood education, comprehensive school and upper secondary education. Employment opportunities may also be available in Rovaniemi for spouses.”
Currently, the Lapland Air Wing, the Air Defence Unit of the Jaeger Brigade, and parts of the Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command, the Finnish Defence Forces C5 Agency, and the Finnish Defence Intelligence Agency operate in Rovaniemi. In addition, Rovaniemi is home to the Rovajärvi Training Area, the largest continuous live-fire and military training area in Western Europe. International exercises have been held in Rovaniemi for more than 25 years.