Rank #37 · Europe
Finland joined NATO on April 4, 2023, bringing a 1,340 km land border with Russia and one of NATO's most battle-tested and reserve-heavy military models. Spending reached 2.8% of GDP ($8.1B) in 2025 — well above the Alliance minimum — fueled by a 64-jet F-35A procurement that costs approximately €1.5 billion per year through 2030. Finland has committed to reach 3% of GDP by 2029 and aspires to 5% (including defense-related infrastructure) by 2035.
Finland's 2025 defense budget is approximately €6.5 billion, with the F-35 procurement consuming the largest single share of capital spending at roughly €1.5B per year through 2028, declining to €400M annually in the final 2029-2030 delivery years. Base defense spending (excluding F-35 installments) runs near 2% of GDP; the aircraft program pushes the total to 2.8%. Finland has announced a trajectory to 3% by 2029, with the Bank of Finland modeling that sustained spending at 3.5%+ may create moderate capacity pressures on the construction and engineering sectors. Personnel costs are modest relative to Western peers due to the conscript-based model.
Finland maintains about 23,000 professional cadre soldiers and trains approximately 20,000-25,000 conscripts per year through a universal-service system. The wartime-ready reserve is 280,000 strong, backed by a broader conscript pool of approximately 900,000 citizens — extraordinary for a country of 5.5 million. The Army operates Leopard 2A6 tanks, K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers, and CV9030 infantry fighting vehicles. The Air Force currently flies 64 F/A-18C/D Hornets (aging), with 64 F-35As on order (deliveries 2025-2030). In December 2025, Finland raised the reservist age to 65, expanding the mobilizable pool further. Finland's wartime army of 280,000 is the largest mobilization-to-population ratio in the EU.
Patria Oy (state-majority-owned) is Finland's primary defense manufacturer, producing the AMV 8×8 armored vehicle family widely exported to NATO members (Poland, Slovenia, Croatia), the NEMO mortar system, and providing military aviation maintenance. Finnish defense exports have grown substantially since 2022, with AMV contracts with Poland the largest single program. The F-35 purchase includes Finnish-industry offset agreements (approximately 30% industrial participation target), notably Patria involvement in F-35 subcomponent production and MRO. Saab AB (Sweden) partners with Patria on communications and electronic warfare systems.
Finland shares a 1,340 km border with Russia — the longest NATO-Russia land border after Norway. This exposure drove Finland's historic NATO bid, approved by parliament in 2022 and ratified April 4, 2023, after Turkey and Hungary dropped objections. Russian forces opposite the Finnish border are assessed to be stretched by Ukraine operations, reducing near-term risk, but Finnish military planning is oriented toward full-spectrum territorial defense against a peer adversary. Finland participates in NATO's Eastern Flank reinforcement, contributes to air policing, and conducts exercises under the Steadfast Defender framework. No active conflicts as of 2026.
Finland's first F-35A deliveries began in 2025, with approximately 6-8 aircraft accepted by the Finnish Air Force from the 64-jet contract. In December 2025, Finland announced it would raise the maximum reservist age to 65, expanding the mobilizable pool. Finland pledged in April 2025 to raise defense spending to 3% of GDP by 2029. SIPRI confirmed Finnish 2025 spending at $8.1B (2.8% of GDP) in its April 27, 2026 release — among the highest in the EU as a share of GDP. Finland hosted the Nordic-Baltic 8 defense ministerial in February 2026, where acceleration of air-defense and drone-defense cooperation was agreed.
April 4, 2023, becoming the 31st member of the Alliance. Finland applied alongside Sweden in May 2022, following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Sweden joined in March 2024 as the 32nd member. Finland's accession was blocked briefly by Turkey and Hungary over issues of Kurdish militant extradition commitments.
64 F-35A Lightning IIs, contracted in December 2021 for approximately €8.378 billion total (including initial weapons packages and support). First deliveries began in 2025; full delivery is planned by 2030. They replace the 64-jet F/A-18C/D Hornet fleet, which entered service in the 1990s.
280,000 wartime-designated personnel, backed by a broader trained reserve of roughly 900,000 citizens. Finland's conscription system trains 20,000-25,000 men per year; virtually all physically capable males serve. In December 2025, Finland extended the reservist age to 65, further expanding the pool. This gives Finland one of the highest wartime-mobilizable forces relative to population in NATO.
3% of GDP by 2029, rising toward 5% (including defense-related infrastructure and security expenditure) by 2035 in line with the new NATO target agreed at the Hague Summit. Finland already exceeded the NATO 2% minimum in 2024 and reached 2.8% in 2025.