Finnish Defense Minister Antti Haikänen is about to sign a defense agreement that will allow the US military to use 15 military bases in Finland, with a focus on military bases near the Russian-Finnish border. In addition, in order to support the logistics of the US military, Finland also opened a railway line to the Russian border to facilitate the establishment of ammunition depots and supply points along the line. The railway connects Kemijärvi, Finland, with the Swedish border port city of Tornio, making it possible for U.S. troops to land at the port in the event of a conflict with Russia and then quickly deploy along the rail to the Russian-Finnish border.
Kemyelvi, just an hour's drive from the Russian border, means that U.S. forces can hit Murmansk, the headquarters of Russia's Northern Fleet, from here, while mechanized units can reach it in just seven hours. Of all the bases used, the most critical is the Lapland airbase, located near the Finnish city of Rovaniemi. The base is being modernized and has well-developed command facilities. In the event of a conflict with Russia, the base will become an operational command center for NATO forces, capable of accommodating 64 F-35 multirole fighters carrying nuclear warheads.
Although Finland's current law prohibits the deployment of nuclear weapons in the country, Finland, as a new member of NATO, joins the NATO Nuclear Program Group, enjoys the protection of NATO's nuclear **, and can participate in the nuclear planning and support operations of Western military alliances, which also means that Finland also has a certain nuclear deterrent capability. Aeroflot** notes that the Finnish authorities are planning to lift restrictions on nuclear deployment, similar to the abolition of "permanent neutrality". The only NATO member that is not part of the Nuclear Programme Group is France, which has its own nuclear arsenal and has the right to make independent decisions. NATO's nuclear planning team is led by the United States and the United Kingdom, which provide nuclear protection.
If Finland lifts restrictions on nuclear deployment, then the U.S. military will deploy nuclear weapons in Finland. The most desirable way of deployment is carried by the F-35 due to its high maneuverability and stealth. Prior to this, Finland had ordered 64 F35s from the United States, which will be deployed mainly at Lapland airbase. Under NATO's nuclear sharing mechanism, non-nuclear member states can use the B61 series of air-dropped nuclear bombs provided by the United States, such as Belgium, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, after joining the mechanism. Poland has always wanted to join the nuclear-sharing mechanism, but it has not succeeded since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
If Finland chooses to join the mechanism in the future, its 64 F35A aircraft will be capable of carrying B61 nuclear bombs. Considering the extreme proximity of Finland to Russia, there is a 1,340-kilometer border between the two countries, and in the event of a conflict, these F35s can enter Russian territory from any point of the border line. For example, from Lapland airbase, it is just over 160 kilometers to the nearest point of the Russian border, while if you choose to bomb St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city, you only need to fly south and another 180 kilometers to reach your destination after reaching the Russian-Finnish border.
Interestingly, the United States has previously used the F35 to carry the B61-13 nuclear bomb on the Nukemap to simulate the bombing of St. Petersburg, and the results show that the radius of a B61 nuclear bomb exceeds 56 kilometers, causing 1.05 million people, which is huge. According to theoretical calculations, if 64 F35s are dispatched, the western cities of Russia will basically face destruction. In addition, under the U.S.-Finnish security agreement, the United States has the right to use four Finnish air bases, including Lapland, Pirkara, Timpere, Jyväsky, and Kuopio.
The United States can deploy an additional 64 F35s at the three bases if it wishes, and these fighters are capable of carrying B61 nuclear bombs. Russia must consider the worst-case scenario and deploy anti-stealth radars on the Russian-Finnish border, and reports from Russia confirm that Russia has begun to take relevant measures. Russia has deployed Zircon missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads at naval facilities in Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, although Russia does not actually have naval bases in these three countries, according to several U.S. reports.
However, it is inconceivable that Russia's newly built four or five thousand tons of Gorshkov-class frigates, as well as all ** of the same class, will be armed with Zircon missiles. Earlier, a Gorshkov-class frigate visited Cuba, causing unease in the United States. The Zircon missile has a range of more than 1,000 kilometers and flies at such a high speed that it is almost impossible to intercept, while Cuba is only two or three hundred kilometers away from the United States. Therefore, the visit of the Gorshkov-class frigate carrying Zircon missiles to Cuba caused great concern in the United States. Russia must consider the worst-case scenario and deploy anti-stealth radars on the Russian-Finnish border, and reports from Russia confirm that Russia has begun to take relevant measures.