Defense Forces | The defense forces will stop talking about the “yellow state” and will talk directly about Russia in the future

Defense forces in the future we will no longer talk about the “yellow state” but more directly about Russia. Over the years, the enemy has been used in other roundabout expressions, such as “N-state” or “enemy from the east”.

Chief of Staff Training, Colonel Kari Pietiläinen According to him, Russia’s attack on Ukraine has changed the discussion culture in the Defense Forces. Told about it first Over.

“We discuss Russia and the Russian threat more openly than before. The Defense Forces is a transparent organization where issues are discussed by their proper names,” Pietiläinen tells HS by email.

The beginning originally, the use of the expression “yellow state” has been associated with training and has been used in exercises without naming a specific real state.

“Several armed forces use training opponents in their training. Traditionally, we have training equipment marked in yellow or a training set described,” says Pietiläinen.

“The yellow state has started to be talked about at some point.”

According to Pietiläinen, the title has been used, for example, in conscript troops’ exercises and refresher exercises, where the term A2-yellow has been used for the training opponent.

In practice, it means Russia, because the Finnish Defense Forces have been preparing for the Russian threat in training and planning for several decades.

What then it changes when, for example, the concept of “practice opponent A2-yellow” is given up as words?

“In terms of definitions and contents, practically nothing,” Pietiläinen says.

According to Pietiläinen, giving up the expression is largely related to what or how one wanted to discuss in public.

“It’s about openness, talking about things by their proper names and clarifying things,” he says.

Now A2-yellow as a name will remain in history and the “yellow state” title will be abandoned. However, the training opponent will continue to be marked with some kind of marking in training, says Pietiläinen.

According to NATO’s instructions, the enemy’s color is red, while yellow means an unclear or unrecognizable target according to NATO’s instructions.

The summer rookie batch entered service in Santahamina on Monday. The incoming batch, which has now entered service, is the first for the military to start up since Russia began hostilities in Ukraine.

Read more: “It feels really good” – Ivan, who moved to Finland from Moscow, is one of those who joined the service in Santahamina today