Åland military-free – but not defenseless

Åland is a military-free zone – but that does not mean that the islands are without defense.

Finland and Sweden probably have plans to move out to the islands if and when it burns.

– It is expected that it would be very difficult for Russia to carry out any kind of major attack, says war scientist Tomas Ries.

Åland has a special status: The islands between Finland and Sweden have been completely demilitarized for 166 years. And that is unlikely to change, not even if and when Finland joins NATO, according to Finnish President Sauli Niinistö.

– It has not been seen that it would cause any obstacles, he said at a press conference in connection with a celebration of Åland’s autonomy on June 11, according to the local newspaper Nya Åland.

– In this discussion, it should be noted that Finland must defend this demilitarization. How much it then differs from traditional defense is another question. To my great joy, I have also heard that Sweden’s Minister of Defense had a similar comment, Niinistö continued.

Secret old plans

The thousands of Åland archipelago islands have a strategically important position, in the middle of the Baltic Sea between Finland and Sweden. They can contribute to control of the Baltic Sea.

– In addition, it also controls the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia, says Tomas Ries, a well-known associate professor of war science at the Stockholm Defense College, who has previously also worked at the Finnish Defense College.

– If there were to be a conflict in the Baltic Sea, one of Russia’s most important priorities would be to prevent enemy aircraft from operating against them, and then it is important to move air defense pieces to Gotland, Åland and preferably to Bornholm, to get an in-depth look. air defense.

Åland has long been considered to be of great strategic importance. During the Cold War, Finland had detailed plans for how to prevent a Soviet occupation attempt, but this was not talked about loudly.

– On the one hand, they had the Finnish navy and mobile coastal artillery, cannons that could be transported there. And then they had a brigade that was specially appointed to be placed on Åland in the event of war, says Ries, who points out that Sweden also seems to have had its eyes on Åland.

– Since it is so close to Stockholm, Arlanda and the whole of central Sweden, you can imagine that you probably also had a secret plan, if it would look really bad and Finland does not manage to defend Åland.

Russia’s westernmost stronghold

The demilitarization of Åland followed a major blow in a European war of great powers – and was originally directed against Russia.

In the summer of 1854, more than 10,000 French and British soldiers and about 80 battleships attacked Åland and Bomarsund Fortress.

Åland then belonged to Russia, since it and the whole of Finland had been conquered from Sweden a few decades earlier. The fortress was Russia’s then westernmost fortress, only about ten miles from Stockholm.

The battle took place within the framework of the Crimean War, where a number of great powers settled with the then Tsarist Russia. The French and British conquered Bomarsund’s fortress and leveled it to the ground, whereupon they were able to keep the Russian fleet in check in the Baltic Sea.

When peace was later negotiated, Sweden put forward its security interests in the Åland issue. In the peace agreement, Russia was forbidden to place the military on Åland, according to a principle that has largely applied until today.

Military coastguard

Finland has the right to defend Åland if and when there is any military threat to the islands.

However, the Finnish Coast Guard is appropriately designed. Finnish coastguards are militarily trained and in wartime they are integrated directly into the Finnish defense.

– They have coast guard ships that can go into battle, especially submarine hunting. Then they have ground forces that are fully trained for military combat, so they have an ability to strengthen Åland without affecting Åland’s demilitarized status, says Tomas Ries, who compares them with Swedish fighter soldiers.

Conditions in the east have changed significantly since the Cold War. The Soviet Union had a long coastline along the Baltic Sea and views of the Nordic countries in several directions. Russia now has the exclave of Kaliningrad and the area around St. Petersburg at the far end of the Gulf of Finland.

If larger units were to approach by plane or ship, Finland and Sweden would learn to catch up early.

– If there was an emergency situation, you could shoot them down before they even reached Åland or Gotland, says Tomas Ries.

He does not believe that demilitarization will be a problem in talks with NATO, as all parties probably see the existing defense as sufficient.

Practices close and often

In recent decades, Sweden and Finland have built up ever stronger defense co-operation. The Swedish Navy exercises regularly with the Finnish.

– It is completely operational and you expect to be able to fight together. It is of course demanding, but we have come so far, says Tomas Ries, who adds that it is “very close at hand to believe” that together they want to be able to secure Åland.

The Finnish amphibious brigade Uusimaa brigade, which is based outside Ekenäs on the southwest coast of Finland, has practiced a lot together with the Swedish amphibious regiment in Berga south of Stockholm.

The commander of the Finnish navy, Rear Admiral Jori Harju, told Hufvudstadsbladet in March that they would first reach Åland in a sharp situation. He also talked about the possibility that Sweden will come to the rescue:

– We have legislation that enables international aid. It makes it possible for us to ask for help and I think that Sweden would support us, in the same way that Sweden can ask us to come to their rescue. This is something we practice with Sweden and I am convinced that we would help each other here.

Facts

Åland

Read moreFacts

The demilitarization

Read more