The Utti Jaeger Regiment ( fi, Utin Jääkärirykmentti, ()) is the Finnish Army training and development centre for

special forces Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...

and helicopter operations in charge of the Army Special Forces Unit and the Special Forces Qualification Course.

Function

Regiment

The Utti Jaeger Regiment is responsible for training special forces for the Finnish Army as well as upkeeping high readiness of the Army Special Forces Unit and helicopter operations and performing executive assistance tasks. The regiment consists of around 400 hired personnel and 220 conscripts according to sources from 2018. Its Special Jaeger Company () served during the War in Afghanistan, training security officials in medical care, firearms, and operational planning, and has been in standby duties as a part of the European Union Battlegroups and NATO Response Force. The Finnish special forces trace their history to the four long-range reconnaissance patrol detachments ('' fi, kaukopartio-osastot'') and Detached Battalion 4 ('' fi, Erillinen Pataljoona 4''), which fought in the Continuation War and Lapland War during 1941–1944. After the wartime units were demobilized in November 1944, the Army reinitiated organized special forces training in February 1962 by establishing the Parachute Jaeger School (, ()) at Utti, near the city of Kouvola. On 1 January 1997, the Utti Jaeger Regiment was formed by merging the Parachute Jaeger School, Military Police School and Helicopter Wing. The Parachute Jaeger School was later reformed into the Special Jaeger Battalion and the Helicopter Wing reinforced into the Helicopter Battalion.

Special Jaeger

According to the newspaper ''

Helsingin Sanomat ''Helsingin Sanomat'', abbreviated ''HS'' and colloquially known as , is the largest subscription newspaper in Finland and the Nordic countries, owned by Sanoma. Except after certain holidays, it is published daily. Its name derives from that of ...

'', a typical special forces soldier has served in the Defence Forces for seven years and is around 28–29-years-old. On average, they run in a Cooper test and

bench press The bench press, or chest press, is a weight training exercise in which the trainee presses a weight upwards while lying on a weight training bench. Although the bench press is a full-body exercise, the muscles primarily used are the pectorali ...

. Before applying for and attending the year-long Special Forces Qualification Course, they often have served as a paratrooper or a combat diver during conscript service. Approximately 12 students are chosen for the course out of a 100 applicants after a four-day exam. All of the course attendees are trained in communications, engineer and medical care, and receive specializations later, such as

sniper A sniper is a military/paramilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment or at distances exceeding the target's detection capabilities. Snipers generally have specialized training and are equipped with high-precision r ...

, vehicle, high-altitude military parachuting, military intelligence or

forward air control Forward air control is the provision of guidance to close air support (CAS) aircraft intended to ensure that their attack hits the intended target and does not injure friendly troops. This task is carried out by a forward air controller (FAC). ...

training. Those chosen for career tracts after the basic course serve at either Utti Jaeger Regiment or Special Operations Detachment of the Naval Reconnaissance Battalion, of the

Coastal Brigade The Coastal Brigade (, RPR) is a brigade-level unit in the Finnish Navy. It is responsible for amphibious warfare, reconnaissance, naval reconnaissance and special operations of the Finnish Navy. It is one of the three main units of the Navy, alon ...

Organisation

As of 2018, the Utti Jaeger Regiment is divided into four units in addition to the headquarters: *Special Jaeger Battalion **Special Jaeger Company – hosts the special jaeger non-commissioned officers, maintains special forces readiness and capabilities of the Army, and oversees the Special Forces Qualification Course. **Paratrooper Company – trains conscripts in basic long-range reconnaissance patrol, sissi, urban and

air assault Air assault is the movement of ground-based military forces by vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft—such as the helicopter—to seize and hold key terrain which has not been fully secured, and to directly engage enemy forces behind e ...

operations. *Helicopter Battalion – equipped with 20 NH90 tactical transport helicopters and 7 MD 500 light helicopters; responsible for all helicopter operations and training of the Defence Forces. *Support Company – trains conscripts in support tasks and handles logistics in cooperation with the Logistics Centre. *Logistics Centre

References

External links