Swedish-Finnish Naval Task Group (SFNTG) Reaches Initial Operational Capability

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Vice Admiral Veijo Taipalus, Commander of the Finnish Navy, and Rear Admiral Jens Nykvist, Chief of Swedish Navy, agreed on an intensified cooperation between the Finnish and Swedish navies in Helsinki on December 1st.

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Naval Forces News - Sweden, Finland

Swedish-Finnish Naval Task Group (SFNTG) Reaches Initial Operational Capability

Vice Admiral Veijo Taipalus, Commander of the Finnish Navy, and Rear Admiral Jens Nykvist, Chief of Swedish Navy, agreed on an intensified cooperation between the Finnish and Swedish navies in Helsinki on December 1st.

A Swedish Navy Visby class corvette (background) and a Finnish Navy Hamina-class fast attack craft during a recent joint exercise. Finnish Navy picture.

The Swedish-Finnish Naval Task Group (SFNTG) has reached initial operational capability (IOC). It means that the SFNTG is now able to conduct naval operations. The emphasis is a common recognized maritime picture through sea surveillance operations with an ability to protect maritime traffic. Both navies have been conducting joint naval exercises for many years now with the aim to deepen the capability of the Finnish and Swedish naval forces to participate in international crisis management operations and to develop the command and cooperation capabilities of the SFNTG vessel units. The first SFNTG exercise was held in 2014. The cooperation, which aim it is to have a bilateral standing Naval Task Group, was initiated in 2001. Finland has been participating in joint exercises with Sweden since the 1990s.

Rear Admiral Jens Nykvist, Chief of Swedish Navy (left) and Vice Admiral Veijo Taipalus, Commander of the Finnish Navy (right) declared IOC for the SFNTG.

During their meeting, the two admirals also discussed topics such as the vast and versatile cooperation of the past year and also the goals of the future years, culminating in the SFNTG full operational capability in 2023.