Finland's coastline has a way of sharpening allied relationships. During exercise Narrow Waters 26 at Upinniemi, Finland, in May 2026, Marines from 2nd Force Reconnaissance Company, 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division conducted weapons and boat familiarization training alongside Finnish forces, getting hands-on time with the gear their NATO partners stake their defense on. The rifle in frame is the 7.62 RK 62M, Finland's modernized service rifle and the backbone of Finnish infantry since the original RK 62 entered service in 1965. A gas-operated, rotating bolt design chambered in 7.62x39mm, the RK 62M is essentially a Finnish-engineered refinement of the AK pattern, built by Valmet and Sako and updated in the late 2010s with an adjustable stock, new fire selector, optics-ready mounts, Picatinny rails, and a tactical sling. Below you can see the Sako TRG-42 rifle. And the KVKK 62 light machine gun in action. Narrow Waters is designed to push exactly this kind of cross-training, expanding the Marines' understanding of Finnish maritime capabilities and weapons systems while building the kind of muscle memory that matters when allied forces have to operate side by side.Photo: U.S. Marine Corps / Lance Cpl. Hunter J. Kuester