NATO Command Centre to Come up Near Russian Border in Finland by 2025

The Finish city of Mikkeli has been picked to host the Multi Corps Land Component Command (MCLCC) of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which is a mere 150 km to the border with Russia which spans 1340 km, the longest land border Moscow shares with any NATO country.

Finish Minister of Defense Antti Hakkanen said in a press release Friday that the MCLCC will "plan, prepare, and command" NATO land forces' operations in Northern Europe. The command will report directly to NATO's Joint Force Command in Norfolk, Virginia. Mikkeli currently hosts the Finnish Army Command.

“Establishing the new MCLCC in Finland is an important step towards making the NATO deterrence and defence posture even stronger. The Finnish Army Command in Mikkeli was an obvious choice for hosting a NATO command. By joining these two locations, we get the best possible synergy between coordinating our national defence and coordinating the NATO defence capabilities. The proposal was founded on a military opinion, which then provided the basis for the Finnish defence administration's assessment,” said Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen.

In times of crisis, it will lead NATO land force operations. The command will include personnel from NATO member states and the Finnish Defense Forces. 

The planning and setting up of the command will proceed in phases, with a more detailed timetable expected in 2025, the ministry said.

At NATO's July summit, the member states endorsed the defense ministers' proposals from June to establish the MCLCC in Finland. They also approved the deployment of Forward Land Forces (FLF) in the country.

NATO will make final political decisions regarding the structure of the MCLCC and the deployment of the FLF next year, once military planning has advanced further, the Finish Ministry of Defense said.

 Forward Land Forces (FLF)

In September, Finland and Sweden announced that Sweden had offered to assume the role of framework nation for the FLF. The framework nation will take command of the forward land forces, playing a key role in overseeing and implementing the forward presence.

While the exact location of the FLF command is yet to be confirmed, Finnish media have speculated that northern Finish bases in Rovaniemi and Sodankyla are being considered as potential sites.