RIIHIMÄKI, Finland – Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen assigned to the Fort Belvoir-based 91st Cyber Brigade and the 185th Cyberspace Operations Squadron, 192nd Wing participated in Elements of Cyber 2026, a Finnish cyber exercise, Feb. 2-6, in Riihimäki, Finland.
The training brought together cyber and intelligence military personnel from Finland and the Virginia Army and Air National Guard. The Finnish Cyber Battalion hosted the event, with Virginia National Guard members participating as part of the Department of War National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program, which has paired Virginia and Finland since 2024.
On the first day, participants received classroom instruction and hands-on training focused on Finnish cyber tactics, techniques and procedures. The rest of the week was spent exercising those tactics, techniques and procedures in a simulated contested mission partner environment. The culminating exercise required participants to hunt and identify adversarial presence on mission partner networks while working as a coalition team.
“Working alongside the Finnish Army enhanced our shared defensive capabilities,” Sgt. 1st Class James Cogswell said. “Their well-structured blue team and SOC organization demonstrated a strong understanding of cyber defense, and the experience provided valuable lessons that will undoubtedly strengthen our own defensive posture. Observing their incident response triage system has given me new ideas to bring back to my own team.”
In addition to tactical training, Virginia Soldiers gained insight into Finnish military culture and practices, including conscription processes and the use of specialized tools for cyber threat hunting and reconnaissance. The week concluded with the Finnish team sharing their national pastime with them: sauna.
“Traveling to Finland and being a part of Elements of Cyber 2026 was an absolute honor,” 1st. Lt. Madison Wood said. “Not only were the Finns welcoming and hospitable, but they also put on training and an exercise that were both challenging and pragmatic. We were able to bring in people from different backgrounds, careers and nationalities and work together as a team to practice facing real-world issues in the cyberspace domain. I greatly enjoyed my time at EOC 2026 and hope to work with the Finns in the future.”
The Elements of Cyber 2026 exercise reflects the ongoing partnership between the Virginia National Guard and Finnish Defense Forces, building on past cyber exchanges and exercises. These efforts highlight the Virginia National Guard’s role in strengthening partner capacity, professional development, cybersecurity and joint readiness.
The Virginia National Guard partnership with Finland was initiated to combine air operations and interoperability defense, including defense against cyber threats, information and intelligence operations, combined land forces capability, special operations training and military assistance and support for disaster operations.