The Finnish logistics sector, the National Emergency Supply Agency and the Finnish Defence Forces practised logistics operations in an emergency scenario

The KETJU26 preparedness exercise held at the end of April brought together nearly a hundred public authorities and representatives of logistics companies. The exercise was based on a scenario published by the National Emergency Supply Agency (NESA) on the use of military force against Finland and security of supply (available in Finnish). The scenario describes an imaginary situation in which Finland is subjected to the use of military force.

The KETJU26 exercise saw participants review chains of events based on the scenario and examine how to make transport connections as efficient as possible on land, at sea and in the air. The exercise also took into account the provision of Host Nation Support (HNS) to allied forces arriving in Finland and operating in Finland.

“The exercise showed how comprehensively a crisis like this would impact Finnish society. The different stages of the crisis would require close cooperation between public authorities, the private sector, non-governmental organisations and citizens. The exercise also highlighted the need for organisations to take care of their own employees in order to keep society functioning,” says Chief Preparedness Specialist Katriina Viljanen from the NESA.

Logistics chains are highly interlinked: a disruption in one area quickly has repercussions for the whole system. Recognising this, the exercise participants assessed issues such as resource sufficiency, prioritisation, continuity of fuel supply and how to maintain a coherent situational picture and exchange of information between authorities and companies. Critical dependencies were identified, and plans were drawn up for improvement.

“These kinds of exercises and discussions are very important. After all, military traffic and transports use the same routes and structures as civilian logistics. That is why cooperation at sea, ports, airports and rail and road transport hubs is essential,” says Lieutenant Colonel Tamio Salminen from Defence Command Finland’s Logistics Division.

The exercise also included presentations by experts and the sharing of lessons learned from Ukraine.

“Preparedness is about action. The greatest benefit of the exercise was the open discussion and the fact that the authorities and experts worked together to find solutions to the challenges that arose,” Salminen sums up.

The second-ever KETJU26 preparedness exercise was organised in cooperation with the Finnish Defence Forces, the National Emergency Supply Organisation’s Logistics Sector and the Liquid Fuel Pool. The Logistics Sector covers the Air Transport, Land Transport, Maritime Transport and Port Pools.

Preparedness and readiness exercises are part of normal security of supply operations. The exercises test and develop cooperation and society’s preparedness to cope in exceptional situations. The exercise was funded from the NESA’s Logistics 2030 programme (page in Finnish).

Photo: Colourbox