Finland has marked the arrival of its first F-35 fighter jets with a ceremony at Rovaniemi, beginning a transition that will replace the Air Force’s Hornet fleet by 2031. President Alexander Stubb said the aircraft would strengthen Finland’s defence and deterrence for decades.
The Finnish Air Force presented the F-35A Lightning II at Lapland Air Wing on Thursday. An F-35 and a Hornet took part in demonstration flights after low cloud initially threatened to keep the aircraft on the ground.
“This marks the beginning of a new era for the Air Force and Finland’s defence,” Stubb said.
Finland ordered 64 F-35s from US manufacturer Lockheed Martin in 2021. The acquisition, including weapons and related systems, is worth about €10 billion and represents Finland’s largest defence purchase.
Stubb linked the programme to Finland’s defence relationship with the United States and to the country’s role in Nato. Asked about the deterrent effect on Russia, he said Moscow knew Finland was a “predictable and safe neighbour”.
He also referred to Russian-built MiG fighters while discussing Finnish airspace.
“The F-35 acquisition is one of Finland’s key defence decisions,” Stubb said, adding that the aircraft would ensure “MiGs do not fly in this airspace”.
Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen said the programme would change Finland’s wider defence system as the aircraft become integrated with other military capabilities.
Häkkänen also said Finland plans to integrate the F-35 with the Israeli-made David’s Sling air defence system.
The first two aircraft assigned for delivery to Finland arrived on 18 September. A third aircraft was delayed in the Azores following a technical fault. Air Force Commander Timo Herranen said this week that the aircraft had been repaired and was waiting to continue its journey.
Eight earlier Finnish F-35s remain in the United States for training Finnish personnel.
The Air Force plans to reach initial operational capability at Lapland Air Wing at the beginning of 2028. Rovaniemi will then operate F-35s instead of Hornets.
Karelia Air Wing at Rissala is due to receive its first F-35s in 2028. Finland expects the final aircraft to arrive in 2030 and plans to reach full operational capability at both air wings at the start of 2031.
The transition has required construction at Finnish air bases, including shelters, maintenance facilities, training spaces and storage infrastructure.
Stubb also addressed concerns about Finland’s reliance on US technology. He described the relationship as one of mutual dependence, pointing to Finnish-US cooperation in defence, icebreakers, minerals and technology.
“Without defence and security, there is no welfare,” Stubb said when asked about the cost of the fighter programme during Finland’s difficult economic conditions.
The aircraft are arriving while the wider F-35 programme faces delays to its Block 4 modernisation. Finland is expected to install parts of the planned upgrades during the 2030s, with costs coming from F-35 programme funding and future defence budgets.
According to a June testimony from F-35 Joint Program Office director Gregory Masiello to the US Senate and a US Government Accountability Office report, only 22 of 55 planned Block 4 capabilities had entered service.
The full upgrade had been scheduled for 2026 but is now expected years later. Some capabilities depend on increased electrical power and cooling, with an engine upgrade intended to address those requirements due in 2031. The planned radar and other sensors require more power and generate more heat than the current configuration was designed to handle.
The GAO also reported that F-35 availability had fallen to 44 per cent under its measurement method. Masiello put mission availability at 56 per cent and attributed part of the problem to a maintenance system and spare-parts supply that had not kept pace with the expanding global fleet. He told senators that the support system had effectively been built for about 700–800 aircraft despite more than 1,300 operational F-35s.
HT
