US Army collaborates with Finland Army on Joint Open Source Intelligence Collection Mission

WIESBADEN, Germany - In a rapidly changing digital world where information is of utmost importance, the 66th Military Intelligence Brigade's Northern Raven Team collaborated with the Finnish Army to carry out a joint open-source intelligence, or "OSINT," collection mission in Finland late August, 2024.

The joint U.S.- Finland OSINT mission took place now that Finland officially joined NATO in April of 2023. As a newly inducted member, Finland has strengthened its security cooperation with NATO allies, particularly the United States. Both nations share strategic interests in maintaining stability in the Baltic region and Northern Europe, especially given heightened geopolitical tensions with Russia in recent years.

Both armed forces utilized advanced OSINT tools and methodologies to accomplish the mission. AI-driven algorithms were utilized to sift through massive amounts of data, flagging relevant information based on keywords, phrases, and geographic locations. In addition, geospatial analysis tools enabled the teams to gather intelligence from publicly available satellite imagery. This allowed them to detect infrastructure changes, movements of military assets, and other indicators that could inform their strategic assessments.

The collaborative effort, inspired by the U.S. Army's continuous transformation, not only met urgent intelligence requirements but also strengthened the strategic alliances between Finland and its NATO allies, especially the United States. Both military forces sought to improve their understanding of the current situation by collecting, analyzing, and exchanging publicly available information about strategic military operations and interests. The joint mission created an opportunity for the two nations to enhance their ability to work together effectively in terms of intelligence and military coordination.

"The Finish OSINT team is one of the best and largest we've worked with. They have a very serious group of analysts that really care. They come with a lot of backgrounds, such as programming and operational expertise, that within a few days, they can make really great intelligence products," stated Staff Sergeant Skyler Barsten, the production manager for the Northern Raven Team.

Through the use of OSINT, both nations demonstrated that military intelligence is evolving beyond classified operations and embracing the extensive and constantly expanding realm of publicly available information.

"One of the main benefits of OSINT is its "shareability." What makes OSINT so sharable is that it is entirely based on publicly available information. We can really work with anybody, and it lets us start that communication process in terms of here's how we can share intelligence, and here's how we can work together to enhance our collection for both sides," said Specialist Curtis Maxwell, an OSINT collector assigned to the Northern Raven Team.

This mission represented a significant milestone in establishing the confidence, proficiency, and capacity to work together effectively that are required to address the intricate and complex challenges of modern warfare, while also striving for NATO convergence.

For the broader intelligence community, this mission reinforced the value of OSINT as a critical tool in the intelligence arsenal. Both nations utilized real-time information from open sources to predict threats and create a clear operational picture. This joint effort demonstrated the crucial significance of international partnerships in gathering intelligence, particularly in an era marked by the rapidly expanding digital information environment and a world of uncertainties.

Follow 66th MI on Facebook

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.