The Winter War tested a Soviet command system that had just lost much of its experienced leadership. Finland refused a proposed mutual-assistance arrangement, and the Soviet Union invaded with far greater numbers of troops, armored vehicles, and aircraft. The quoted strength and casualty figures vary considerably, but all give the Soviet side much heavier losses. Finnish terrain broke large formations into smaller groups, which snipers and other Finnish forces could isolate and attack. The comparison with naval air defense is that a large attack becomes easier to defeat when it is divided into manageable pieces.
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The Winter War exposed the cost of purged command structures
Finland's refusal of a Soviet assistance pact led to an invasion whose numerical advantage broke down as terrain and Finnish tactics divided larger formations.