National Defense | The Defense Forces ordered protective vests for the soldiers, but there may not be enough for everyone

Ministry of Defence announced on Thursday that it would continue its purchases again and said that this time it would purchase domestic M05 splinter protection vests for nine million euros.

This gives the soldier good protection against shrapnel from grenades. Here, as in other recent acquisitions, fresh lessons from Ukraine are visible. There have been huge artillery battles with deadly shrapnel.

According to the ministry, the purchase will help to equip the troops as required for the mission, when the second vest in use, the M17 protective vest, is also included.

The shrapnel vests available now are compatible with the new equipment pocket kits as well as older equipment vests and combat belts.

Defense forces does not say how many vests would be enough for a real situation.

The wartime strength of the Army alone is 180,000 soldiers, the entire wartime strength of the Defense Forces is 230,000, and there are just under 900,000 people in the reserve. How many would get proper protective vests?

“Unfortunately, it cannot be published,” says the infantry inspector, a colonel Juhana Skyttä.

According to Skytä, the now published purchase, together with previous protective vest procurements, will significantly improve the number of well-equipped troops. At the same time, however, there is still much to acquire, he states.

The best equipment would go to soldiers in the worst places.

in Ukraine it has been seen how important and desired vests are. For example, they have been acquired in various fundraising campaigns.

The issue of protective clothing has also been discussed in Finland this week, when a member of parliament from the coalition Jukka Kopra presented his initiative on the right to tax deduction for reservists’ purchases of protective equipment. If a reservist gets his own vest and helmet for training, the national defense will also benefit, he reasoned.

“That doesn’t solve this question, but of course the purchases made by the reservists are all towards home. However, the state must provide the soldiers with such protective equipment that they guarantee sufficient protection and performance. We are responsible for that.”

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