60°09′51″N24°56′59″E / 60.1641782°N 24.9496668°E /60.1641782; 24.9496668
| Intelligence Division of Defence Command | |
|---|---|
| Pääesikunnan tiedusteluosasto Huvudstabens underrättelseavdelning | |
.png) Colours of Defence Command | |
| Active | Since 11 February 1918 |
| Country |  Finland |
| Role | Military intelligence |
| Part of | Defence Command |
| Garrison | Guard's Garrison, Fabianinkatu 2,Helsinki, Finland |
| Engagements | |
| Website | puolustusvoimat.fi |
| Commanders | |
| Chief of Intelligence | Rear AdimiralJuha Vauhkonen |
| Notable commanders | Major GeneralHarri Ohra-aho |
TheIntelligence Division ofDefence Command (Finnish:Pääesikunnan tiedusteluosasto,PE TIEDOS;Fenno-Swedish:Huvudstabens underrättelseavdelning) is the unit in charge of Finnishmilitary intelligence. Operational since the creation of theFinnish Defence Forces, its responsibility as amilitary intelligence service is to support the defence of Finland through information gathering and analysis with theFinnish Defence Intelligence Agency under its command.
The division's predecessors have been organized within Defence Command of theFinnish Defence Forces under multiple names and configurations—partly to conceal covert operations.[1] The first iteration, the Information Office, was created in 1918 at the start of theFinnish Civil War.
The Intelligence Division is self-statedly in charge of military intelligence in the Defence Forces and responsible for the use of intelligence capabilities. Its tasks include monitoring changes in the security environment, providing early warning of military and external threats, andcounter-intelligence—similar to the tasks its predecessors have performed.[2][3][4] In a 2014 interview, Chief of Intelligence, then Brigadier GeneralHarri Ohra-aho stated that the military gathers information according to Finnish and host country legislation withsignals (SIGINT),imagery (IMINT),geospatial (GEOINT) andopen-source intelligence (OSINT) as well as throughmilitary attachés.[5]
Most information regarding the division or its predecessors is not public per Finnish law.[6]
On 11 February 1918, in the early stages of theFinnish Civil War, commander-in-chief ofWhite Finland's military, GeneralCarl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, appointed LieutenantIsak Alfthan to command the Information Office (Finnish:Tietotoimisto) of Mannerheim's headquarters and start gatheringmilitary intelligence on the civil war enemyRed Finland as well as on Russian units.[7]
During theContinuation War andLapland War, Intelligence Division was in charge of directing the fourlong-range reconnaissance patrol detachments (Finnish:kaukopartio-osastot), intended to assault assets as well as disrupt supply and communications behind enemy lines. In July 1943, the detachments were reorganized as companies withinDetached Battalion 4, commanded by the Intelligence Division. The units conducted around 350 long-range reconnaissance patrols during wartime.Utti Jaeger Regiment was established de facto in 1962 to mimic the special operations of Detached Battalion 4.[8]
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