Nyland Brigade

The Nyland Brigade (Swedish: Nylands brigad, NylBr, Finnish: Uudenmaan prikaati, UudPr) is a brigade-level marine-type unit of the Finnish Navy stationed in Dragsvik in Raseborg in the province of Uusimaa. The brigade trains coastal jaegers and other troops for combat in coastal environments. It is the only unit of the Finnish Defence Forces where the instruction language is Swedish, one of the country's national languages alongside Finnish. The command language is, however, Finnish.

Nyland Brigade
Nylands brigad
Insignia of the Nyland Brigade
Active	1918: 3. jääkärirykmentti (3rd Jaeger Regiment) 1918: Jääkärirykmentti 3 (Jaeger Regiment 3) 1918-1919: Savon jääkärirykmentti n:o 3 (Savonia Jaeger Regiment No. 3) 1919-1940: Uudenmaan rykmentti (Uusimaa Regiment) 1940–1941: 13. prikaati (13th Brigade) 1941–1944: Jalkaväkirykmentti 13 (Infantry Regiment 13) 1944–1953: Jalkaväkirykmentti 4 (Infantry Regiment 4) 1954–1956: 4. prikaati (4th Brigade) 1957–: Nylands brigad (Nyland Brigade)
Country	Finland
Branch	Finnish Navy
Type	Naval infantry
Size	Wartime size unknown Approximately 1,500 soldiers trained each year
Part of	Finnish Navy
Garrison/HQ	Dragsvik, Raseborg, Finland
Motto(s)	Militärt kunnande, sammanhållning, framåtanda (roughly: Know-how, cohesion, drive)
Colors	Blue and yellow
March	Nylänningarnas marsch
Anniversaries	18 April (Battle of Siikajoki) 5 July (Battle of Teikari) 9 July (Navy Day)
Equipment	Jehu, Jurmo, Uisko, 'G' class, XA-185 Pasi, Spike-ER
Engagements	Battle of Siikajoki
Decorations	Siikajoki Cross
Commanders
Commodore	Mikko Laakkonen
Insignia
Headdress	Green beret with Sea Eagle's Head badge (qualified Coastal Jaegers) Black navy beret with Anchor&Lion badge (other troops)
Insignia of the Vasa Coastal Jaeger Battalion
Insignia of the Ekenäs Coastal Battalion
Flag

The brigade also trains high-readiness coastal jaegers who serve in the brigade’s High Readiness Unit (VYKS ATU). The unit is trained for demanding military operations along the coast and in the archipelago. The service period in the High Readiness Unit is 347 days, regardless of role, and soldiers are selected for training after basic training based on specific requirements. The unit is assigned to the 1st Coastal Jaeger Company.

Organization

• Headquarters
• Vasa Coastal Jaeger Battalion
  • 1st Coastal Jaeger Company
  • 2nd Coastal Jaeger Company
  • Combat Boat Company
• Ekenäs Coastal Battalion
  • Mortar Company
  • Headquarters and Signal Company
  • Combat Engineer Company
• Logistics Center

The Vasa Coastal Jaeger Battalion trains coastal jaegers, boatsmen, coastal missile troops, reconnaissance troops and ATU platoons. The Ekenäs Coastal Battalion trains mortar and signal troops, military policemen, chauffeurs, supply specialists and combat engineers.

History

The Finnish coastal jaegers are trained in Nyland Brigade

The brigade follows the traditions of the Nyland and Tavastehus Cavalry Regiment, which Gustavus Adolphus established in 1626. The regiment distinguished itself in the Battle of Siikajoki during the Finnish War. The brigade also traces back its history to the 3rd Jaeger Regiment during the Finnish Civil War, renamed Uusimaa Regiment during the interwar period. After the Winter War, the Uusimaa Regiment was one of the units forming the new 13th Brigade, which formed the basis of the 13th Infantry Regiment (JR13) during the Continuation War, later called the 4th Infantry Regiment, which was restructured to form the 4th Brigade and renamed to Nyland Brigade in 1957. The unit became a part of the Finnish Navy in 1998, having been an Army unit until then.

Nylands Brigade Kommendör Jyri Kopare inspects U.S. Marines assigned to Combat Logistics Battalion 6, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, in part of the Swedish Heritage Parade in Dragsvik, Finland on November 5, 2023

Since 2022, U.S Marines have been training in the garrison of Nylands Brigade, and the military presence in the area has intensified further after the DCA agreement entered into force in 2024.^[1]

Equipment

The brigade utilizes XA-185 Pasi APCs and trucks for land transport, and Jehu, Jurmo, Uisko and G class landing craft for amphibious transport. The motorized artillery previously used 130 K 54 guns, but now relies on Spike-ER missiles for anti-ship warfare.