The tasks of the Navy will remain the same—our main mission being the maritime defense of Finland. Additionally we support other maritime authorities and participate in international military crisis-management missions.
In order to make a slimmed-down navy work properly in the future, the organization has to be rebuilt. Core capabilities and capacities will remain. Our main focus will be the “worker bees,” which means the number of personnel on board has to be increased. Cuts will be directed at support functions. The number of professional personnel in headquarters and administration will be reduced from 1,900 to 1,400.
Despite cuts the organization must function. The answer is Defence Forces–wide centralization. The Navy Matériel Command will be fused into a new Defence Forces logistics administration. The Navy Research Institute will be merged with a new Defence Forces research organization. Other support duties—administration, information technology, and such—will be centralized as well. These reforms enable the navy to operate with smaller support elements and smaller headquarters.
The planning phase for these changes is over, and the execution has begun. The Finnish Navy—because of the Defence Forces reform—will be smaller, but smarter and more operational in 2015.
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