Finland is to receive a new NATO unit for communications and information systems in Riihimäki (southern Finland). The decision was made on 6 March by Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen.

The new unit, known as a Deployable CIS Module (DCM), will provide communications and IT support to NATO forces and command structures in Finland and, where required, across the entire Alliance. Operations are planned to begin in early 2027, according to a press release from the Finnish Government.

The unit will have approximately 60 employees and will be staffed by Finnish personnel. It will organisationally belong to NATO's Communications and Information Systems Group.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the establishment will strengthen NATO's ability to defend Finland and the wider northern European region. The investment forms part of NATO's common command structure and may be funded through the Alliance's common budget.

– Establishing a NATO unit for deployable communications and information systems in Riihimäki will strengthen NATO's ability to defend Finland and the High North, as well as reinforcing Riihimäki garrison's position as an important centre of excellence for command and control systems, says Defence Minister Häkkänen.

Earlier this year, the Finnish Defence Forces (Puolustusvoimat) announced that a new innovation unit, with its operational core in Riihimäki, is to be established — something Nordic Defence Sector (NDS) has previously reported on.

Riihimäki's Mayor Jouni Eho welcomed the new decision in a press release:

– Having a command systems unit established in Riihimäki is a historic turning point in the development of a city of just under thirty thousand inhabitants. It is also an excellent continuation of the core functions of the Defence Forces' artificial intelligence centre and the innovation unit, which began operating in Riihimäki at the start of 2026, says Mayor Jouni Eho.