Rear Admiral Tuomas Tiilikainen, commander of the Finnish Navy, hosted the navies' annual meeting in Suomenlinna on 16 September 2026. Tiilikainen was joined by Rear Admiral Johan Norlén of Sweden, Rear Admiral Søren Kjeldsen of Denmark and Rear Admiral Oliver Berdal of Norway.
According to the Finnish Navy, the regular meetings are meant to reinforce the key elements of Nordic naval cooperation, including “a common recognised maritime picture and jointly coordinated activities in the North.
The commanders reaffirmed that the Swedish Navy will keep supporting Finland's surveillance and protection of territorial integrity in the Baltic Sea through autumn 2026. They also discussed new capabilities, including "developments and future use of unmanned systems", the Finnish Navy added.
The Swedish Navy's commitment builds on a wider defence deal, previously reported on by NDS. Signed in August, Sweden agreed to send Gripen fighters and a Visby-class corvette to help protect Finnish territory through the end of 2026.
Tiilikainen said the Nordic navies are "united by our common interest in the defence of the North and the Baltic Sea." He added that "the shared recognised maritime picture, the exercises we are having together and the open dialogue have built the foundation for our ability to support each other also in the surveillance and safeguarding of territorial integrity."