A battalion of 250 US Marines is conducting joint exercises with the Nyland Brigade in Syndalen, Hanko, on Finland's southernmost peninsula.
On the southwest coast, the American soldiers are specifically training for combat in cold archipelago conditions.
At the turn of the month, their visit will culminate in a warfare exercise dubbed "Freezing Winds," which will also include troops from Sweden, Estonia and France.
The Marines, based in North Carolina, were training in California's Mojave Desert before arriving in Finland. In Hanko, the US troops are also receiving boating, off-road scooter and medical training.
"They have shown us the Pasi (Finnish-made Patria Pasi armoured personnel carrier), which can go deep into the water," NCO Manjot Johal said.
During their stay, the Americans are lodging at the Dragsvik army barracks in Tammisaari. In their free time, the soldiers have hunted in nearby forests, shooting two deer last weekend, according to Sergeant Major Dustin Sammons.
Major agreement
A significant defence cooperation agreement (DCA) between Finland and the United States is currently in the works. It would allow for the construction of US military infrastructure in Finland and for American soldiers to arrive in the country at short notice. That follows Finland's accession as a member of Nato last April.
Pekka Snellman, chief of staff of the Nyland Brigade, told Yle that there has been talk of placing US troops in the Hanko area, but concrete plans have yet to materialise.
"Historically speaking, when foreign troops have come to Finland, the Hanko peninsula has played its own role in that. It has a good harbour, railway connections and there's something of an airport," he added.
Lieutenant Colonel Emmaline Hill also said she saw the Syndalen training area as a suitable location for the Marine Corps to continue training in the future, but told Yle that she could not comment in more detail on the DCA.
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