NATO is beginning the Hammer 24 exercise hosted by Finland today.
Hammer 24 is the latest NATO live exercise (LIVEX) which aims to “enhance mechanized units operational and procedural performance.” NATO LIVEXs generally involve allied forces addressing a fabricated scenario, with member states contributing troops, aircraft, ships, and other assets necessary to run the exercise. Finland hosting the exercise follows a trend of increased Finnish participation in NATO, following its accession in April 2023. Finland’s recent participation includes its first NATO nuclear weapons drill last month.
In the short term, exercises such as Hammer 24 serve as deterrents against continued Russian aggression in Ukraine. Vladimir Putin recently escalated his rhetoric on the potential use of nuclear weapons, likely in response to the aforementioned NATO nuclear weapons drill. For new NATO members such as Finland and Sweden, Hammer 24 and future exercises will be critical for their integration. Finland and Sweden occupy historically strategic space in Europe- geographically proximate to Russia and important for the containment of Russian aggression in the Nordic peninsula.
Hammer 24 and NATO nuclear weapons exercises are likely geared towards deterring Russian submarines originating from Zapadnaya Litsa, which traverse the Northeast Passage and threaten Europe. Zapadnaya Litsa is one of Russia’s largest nuclear and attack submarine bases, near the Norwegian border. Future NATO exercises in November are also strategically placed near Russia, in Türkiye, the Black Sea, and Latvia. On the whole, these exercises are likely more of a precaution than signaling intent to conduct actual military action against Russia in the near future.
