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!