Finnish Conscription

Finnish military services

• 350,000 men reserve• 30,000 men of age annually• 79% of male population

completed training in 2009• On a scale from 1-5

– will to defend the country 4,0– overall rating for training time 4,0– satisfaction with the training 3,5– satisfaction with conscript leaders 3,7– satisfaction with employed trainers 3,9

Future of the conscription system working group

• Chairman Risto Siilasmaa• Group composition

– Appointed by the chairman and minister of defence

– No civil servants– Critical, experienced and

entrepreneurial team

• Key principles– Question everything– Nothing is sacred– Present all findings, positive and

negative– Be concrete

2

Evaluation of the alternative systems

1. Exceeds minimum requirements for operational capability?– Relative to operational purpose– How to measure objectively?

2. Expense to the society in direct budgetary costs and, more importantly, in gross economic costs tolerable?– How to measure indirect benefits and costs?

3. Other factors affecting the overall fit for purpose evaluation?– Certain benefits and costs are impossible to measure

3

Background: Conscription or

Professional Armed Forces?

Future of Finnish Defence

Members of NATO Not allied

The D

efe

nce

of

The T

errito

ry

Crisis m

anagem

ent

The way towards professional armed forces

1990 20102000

40%

45%

50%

39%

62%

40%

10%

16%

20%

28%

40% 34%

17%

Cost analysis

Future of the Finnish Defence

Future of the Finnish Defence

Conscription 250,000 Selective

Conscription

Voluntary Conscription

16%

ProfessionalArmed Forces

60,000

-4.9 billion

-8.6 billion No return

Welfare effects-2.7 billion

COST OF DEFENCE MODELSEvaluated Dimensions

• Labour force

• Capital Costs

• Gross Domestic Product

• Tax Revenue

• Household Demand

• Total Cost for Society

Professional Armed Forces Need for infrastructure

60,000

Personnel 15,000

Conscripts 19,000

26,000 more people

Salaries + 1.5 BillionMateriel + 0.4 BillionRents + 0.2 Billion

Operating costs + 0.1 Billion –> + 2.2 Billion / year

4.9 Billion/year 2.7 Billion/year

2.7 Mrd€

2010 2015 2020

Cost increase of materiel+4-8% / annum

Cost increase of materiel+4-8% / annum

THE FINANCIAL SITUATION OF THE FINNISH MILITARY IS NOT SUSTAINABLE

Personnel costs +2 % / annumPersonnel costs +2 % / annum

Massive aging of army materiel between 2010-2020

Operationsand real estate

Operational capability

Future of the Finnish Defence

Future of the Finnish Defence

CONSCRIPTION <> CONSCRIPTION

Unsuccessful Conscription

FunctionalConscription

37,5 hours working weeks5 – 6 training days a week, no limited working hours

Training of individuals Producing wartime units

No measurement oftraining results

Measurement of training results against hard targets

Conscripts used for secondary tasks (cheap labour)

Training war time units as priority

No clear purposeClear purpose(Defence of the homeland)

Conscription Training System

- Production of Wartime Units

UNITTRAINING9 weeks

SUMMERINTAKEIn July

UNITTRAINING

9 weeks

WINTERINTAKE

In January

WINTERINTAKE

In January

BA

SIC

TR

AIN

ING

BRANCH and JOB TRAINING

SPECIALISTS

LEADERS

BRANCH and JOB TRAINING

SPECIALISTS

LEADERS

SPECIALISTS

LEADERS

RESERVE UNIT

RESERVE UNIT

+ Refresher Training for Reserve Units

BA

SIC

TR

AIN

ING

BA

SIC

TR

AIN

ING

30 000

men

17 000

allocated

SIZE OF THE RESERVE

24 000

start

21 000

pass

15v 250 000

Wartimereserve

10v 170 000

General conclusions

Future of the Finnish Defence

Future of the Finnish Defence

Dimensions

Mission of theDefence Forces

Total Cost for Society

Professional Force orConscription

Giving up conscription:WHY?

• The mission of the Defence Forces is changed from defence to crisis management

• Continuous forced uncoordinated cuts in the Defence Forces spending

• Training results not sufficient in relation to capability requirements

• No need for big reserves

• Difficulties getting motivated conscripts

Professional vs Conscription

Professional Force Conscription

No recruitment base Recruitment

Limited working Hours Effective use of the week

No reserves for defence Reserves for defence

Crisis management tasks Defence of the country

Higher costs Cost-effective

Weak link to society Positive effects on society

Conclusions for Finland

Future of the Finnish Defence

Future of the Finnish Defence

23

Support for

other Authorities

Effects on Society

Participation in International Crisis Management

Economy

Meaningful and motivating for Conscripts

Defence of Finland

Bde area of operations 30 x 50m2

Professional Armed Forces

per 1 km2

Positive effects on society- Connects the different actors in society

- Promotes social values, national defence will and social peace

- Provides young men and women with versatile skills, some of the most significant of which include leadership training, driver training and first aid training

- Teaches social and group skills

- Prevents social exclusion

- Facilitates immigrant integration

- Promotes public health

- Provides data and material for research

- Produces a military reserve that can also support other authorities

- Produces personnel for crisis management tasks

- Acts as a recruitment channel for the Defence Forces and other authorities.

The conscription system be maintained1

• The entire male age group fit for service undergoes military service training

• There are no grounds for a transition to professional forces

• Military alliance would not have considerable impacts on the conscription system

• In the next few years, the Defence Forces must undergo a structural reform, which at the same time will secure the position of the conscription system

• Military service remains voluntary for women

• Voluntary military service for women is supported especially by providing more information

• The special know-how of conscripts is utilised more extensively than before

Financial latitude is created to avoid constantforced cost cuts

2

• Investigating the possibilities of transitioning partly to a four-month term of service

• Introducing other reforms that create financial latitude

Operating models are developed further3

• Developing a conscript information system that provides the Defence Forces with more information about the conscripts and vice versa

• Utilising the call-up events as a platform, which allows for the individual, various authorities and actors to meet and exchange information that benefits both the individual and the different actors

• Developing the initial survey and feedback systems in a way that allows for giving open feedback and learning from good practices

• Developing a centralised social reservation register

• Improving the cooperation between different administrative sectors and authorities

The position of conscripts is improved 4

• Improving the financial standing of conscripts

• Connecting conscription with the lifelong educational system where credit is given for the skills acquired during military service in civilian studies and the working life as well as possible

• Developing different reward systems for conscripts

• Promoting healthy lifestyles among conscripts

• Implementing the "timeout" operating model in all municipalities

5Resources are allocated

• Supporting instructors of conscripts in their demanding work and especially paying attention to supporting young instructors

• Increasing the number of the training personnel in military units that train conscripts

Thank you!