Força Aérea Finlandesa
The Finnish Air Force was born on 6 March 1918 with a single donated Swedish aircraft, fought the Soviet Union twice between 1939 and 1944 with a mixed bag of foreign fighters and some of the highest claimed exchange ratios of the war, spent the Cold War buying MiGs and Drakens side by side under treaty limits, and in September 2026 landed its first F-35As at Rovaniemi as NATO’s newest front-line air force on the Russian border.
The Finnish Air Force story: one gift aircraft, two wars against the odds, and the F-35 on the Russian border
1918–1939: one gift aircraft and a borrowed symbol
The service dates its birth to 6 March 1918, in the middle of the Finnish Civil War, when a Thulin typ D reconnaissance aircraft flew from Umeå in Sweden to Vaasa, flown by Swedish Lieutenant Nils Kindberg with its donor, the Swedish Count Eric von Rosen, as passenger. An earlier attempt to deliver an aircraft had ended in failure at Pietarsaari. Von Rosen’s aircraft carried his personal good-luck emblem, a blue swastika, and the new air arm adopted it as its national marking; it was used until 1945, long before and entirely apart from its later Nazi association. Between the wars the service built up slowly: 122 Hansa aircraft were built from 1922, the flying school moved to Kauhava in 1929, and a 1936 armament programme brought the Fokker D.XXI fighter, built under licence by the State Aircraft Factory, and the Bristol Blenheim bomber.
1939–1940: the Winter War, few against many
When the Soviet Union attacked on 30 November 1939, the Air Force had just over one hundred aircraft against more than a thousand Soviet combat aircraft facing Finland. It fought for 105 days. The official history credits it with more than 300 aerial victories for 62 of its own aircraft destroyed and 35 damaged, and records 75 airmen killed or missing; ten pilots became aces. The emblematic day was 6 January 1940, when Lieutenant Jorma Sarvanto, flying a Fokker D.XXI from Utti, shot down six of seven DB-3 bombers heading for Kuopio in four to five minutes. Help came from abroad, but mostly too late: 30 Gladiators, 33 Fiat G.50s, 30 Moranes, 12 Hurricanes and 44 Brewsters were bought or donated and arrived in the first months of 1940, and a Swedish volunteer wing flew in Lapland. The peace of March 1940 still cost Finland territory.
1941–1945: the Continuation War, the Brewster legend and the Lapland War
In the Continuation War, from June 1941 to September 1944, an air force of about 550 aircraft, roughly half of them combat types, claimed about 1,600 aerial victories for 182 aircraft lost, and 87 of its pilots became aces. Eino Ilmari Juutilainen, with 94 victories, and Hans Wind, with 75, head the list. The Brewster Model 239, a disappointment with other air forces, became a legend: Finnish sources credit it with 459 to 480 victories for 15 to 19 losses in air combat. From 1943 the Bf 109G, 159 of them delivered from Germany, carried the fight. These are wartime claims, not verified kills, and later research has trimmed some of them, but the pattern is not in doubt. After the armistice the Air Force turned on its former ally in the Lapland War, losing 10 of 60 aircraft before its last sortie on 4 April 1945.
1947–1991: treaty limits, MiGs and Drakens side by side
Peace came with hard limits. The Paris Peace Treaty of 1947 capped the Air Force at 60 combat aircraft and 3,000 personnel and banned aircraft with internal bomb bays, guided missiles and atomic weapons; the Ju 88s and Blenheims went to training and scrap. Neutral Finland then bought from both sides of the Iron Curtain, with the treaty and politics in mind: Vampires from Britain in 1953, Gnats in 1957, a squadron of MiG-21Fs from the Soviet Union in 1962, Swedish Drakens from 1972 and MiG-21bis from 1978. For two decades the MiG-21 at Rissala and the Draken at Rovaniemi and Pirkkala flew side by side, one of the few air forces anywhere to do so. The Hawk replaced the Magister as the jet trainer from 1980, and the service began preparing dispersed road bases for use in a crisis.
1992–2023: the Hornet, the HX contest and NATO
The end of the Cold War freed Finland to buy a first-rank Western fighter. In 1992 the government chose the F/A-18 Hornet after four finalists had flown test sorties at Halli; 64 were delivered from November 1995 to 2000, 57 single-seaters assembled by Patria in Finland and seven two-seaters built in the United States. Two mid-life upgrades, completed in 2016, added air-to-ground weapons including JDAM and JASSM. The Hornet’s replacement, the HX programme, began in 2015 with a government ceiling of 10 billion euros. On 10 December 2021 Finland chose 64 F-35A Block 4 fighters for about 8.378 billion euros; critics pointed to lifetime costs that reference works put at 25 to 40 billion euros, the government to the F-35’s highest overall score in the evaluation. On 4 April 2023 Finland joined NATO, ending decades of military non-alignment.
2024–2026: the F-35 arrives, the Hornet bows out
The transition is now under way. Retired Hornets have been flown to Pirkkala to be stripped for spare parts since April 2024, and HN-409 was destroyed at Rovaniemi on 7 May 2025 during air-show practice, the pilot ejecting safely. Finland’s first F-35A, JF-501, was rolled out at Fort Worth on 16 December 2025; eight aircraft train Finnish pilots at Ebbing in Arkansas, and on 18 September 2026 JF-510 and JF-512 landed at Rovaniemi. The Lapland Air Wing is to fly only the F-35 from 2028; Rissala follows, and the Hornet goes by the end of 2030. NATO membership has brought an Icelandic air-policing rotation in 2025 and, on 24 September 2026, the first joint Finnish-Swedish identification of Russian aircraft. In 2025 the Air Force also said it would replace the last four unit flags that still bore the old swastika.
The Finnish Air Force in numbers
Serviço
- Nome nativo
- Ilmavoimat (Finnish); Flygvapnet (Swedish)The official names in Finland’s two national languages, as used on the service’s own website. The Air Force is one of the three services of the Finnish Defence Forces (Puolustusvoimat / Försvarsmakten)
- Fundada
- 6 March 1918The day Count Eric von Rosen’s Thulin typ D landed at Vaasa during the Civil War; the service treats it as its founding day and marked its centenary in 2018. Von Rosen’s blue swastika was the national marking until 1945; it left the Air Force Command emblem after a 2017 decision, and in 2025 the last four unit flags bearing it were ordered replaced
- Parte de
- Finnish Defence ForcesAlongside the Army and the Navy. Army helicopters (NH90 and MD 500 at Utti) belong to the Army and are not counted on this page
- Sede
- Air Force Command Finland, TikkakoskiAt Jyväskylä–Tikkakoski, which also houses the Air Operations Centre that runs 24/7 air surveillance and air policing. Air Force Command moved into underground facilities at Luonetjärvi (Tikkakoski) in 1972
- Comandante
- Maj. Gen. Timo HerranenIn post since 1 December 2024; promoted major general on 6 December 2024. Former commander of the Karelia Air Wing
- Minister of Defence
- Antti HäkkänenIn office in September 2026, in Prime Minister Orpo’s government
Força
- Pessoal
- About 2,000Uniformed and civilian together, per the Air Force. It also trains about 1,300 conscripts a year. Wartime strength is not published
- Aeronaves de combate
-
- F/A-18C/D Hornet — 64 delivered 1995–2000, being retired; current number not published
- F-35A Lightning II — 64 ordered; at least 11 delivered by late September 2026, two of them in Finland
Both types will fly side by side until the Hornet leaves service at the end of 2030
- Treinadores
-
- BAE Hawk Mk 51, 51A and 66 — about 32 modernised aircraft (Patria, c. 2021)
- Grob G 115E — 28
41 of 67 Hawks were withdrawn with fatigue between 2012 and 2016. The Valmet Vinka left service in 2022
- Transport and liaison
-
- CASA C-295M
- Learjet 35A/S
- Pilatus PC-12NG
Flown by the Supporting Air Operations Squadron at Pirkkala. The Air Force does not publish the numbers; reference works list three C-295M, two Learjets and six PC-12NG
- defesa aérea terrestre
- David’s Sling selectedNot an aircraft. The government announced the choice of the Israeli high-altitude system on 5 April 2023. Air defence fire control for all three services is an Air Force wartime task
- Orçamento de defesa
- About 6.5 billion euros (2025)The Ministry of Defence budget for 2025, as cited in reference works; 2024 spending was about 2.3 per cent of GDP. Figures for 2026 were not confirmed from an official source for this page
Infraestrutura
- Asas voadoras
-
- Lapland Air Wing (Lapin lennosto) — Rovaniemi, Hornet and F-35A
- Karelia Air Wing (Karjalan lennosto) — Rissala, Kuopio, Hornet
- Satakunta Air Wing (Satakunnan lennosto) — Pirkkala, transport, liaison and test flying
- Air Force Academy (Ilmasotakoulu) — Tikkakoski, Hawk and Grob
Swedish: Lapplands, Karelens and Satakunta flygflottilj and Luftkrigsskolan
- Main operating bases
- 4Rovaniemi, Rissala, Pirkkala and Tikkakoski, all shared with civil airports. Kauhava (flying ended 2014), Pori (1985) and Halli (garrison closed 2013) are former bases
- Road bases
- Dispersed highway stripsThe Air Force prepares road bases around the country for use in a crisis; locations are not published
- Readiness
- 24/7 air policingHornets on quick reaction alert; from 2028 the F-35 takes over in Lapland. The first joint Finnish-Swedish QRA identification was flown on 24 September 2026
- Display team
- Midnight HawksFour Hawks plus a spare, flown by Fighter Squadron 41 instructors at Tikkakoski since 1997
- Museum
- Finnish Air Force Museum, TikkakoskiMore than 3,600 objects, including von Rosen’s Thulin, Fokker D.XXI FR-110, Hurricane HC-452 and Brewster BW-372
How the Finnish Air Force is organised
One command at Tikkakoski over three air wings and the Air Force Academy. Two wings fly fighters, Lapland at Rovaniemi and Karelia at Rissala; the third, Satakunta, flies transport and test aircraft and keeps the air bases of southern Finland running. Army helicopters at Utti belong to the Army and are not counted here.
Air Force Command Finland
Commands the service from Tikkakoski, where it moved into underground facilities in 1972, and houses the Air Operations Centre that runs round-the-clock air surveillance and air policing. Commander Maj. Gen. Timo Herranen since 1 December 2024.
Lapland Air Wing
Fighter Squadron 11 with the Hornet, and the first F-35As in Finland since 18 September 2026; the wing is to fly only the F-35 from 2028 and runs the 5th Control and Reporting Centre.
Karelia Air Wing
Fighter Squadron 31 with the Hornet, holding identification-flight readiness for southern Finland around the clock. The second F-35 base, with the first aircraft due in 2028.
Satakunta Air Wing
Transport and liaison flying with the Supporting Air Operations Squadron, test flying, and the upkeep of air bases across southern Finland. Its fighters left in 2014.
Air Force Academy
All basic military flight training in Finland since 2015: the Grob G 115E and the Hawks of Fighter Squadron 41, whose instructors fly the Midnight Hawks.
What the Finnish Air Force flies today
Cada tipo de cobrança, com link para sua página no Livro das Feras, quando houver. Os números indicam as aeronaves registradas, não as aeronaves disponíveis em um determinado dia.
| Tipo | Papel | Em serviço | Desde | Unidades | Notas | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C/D HornetEm serviço | Caça multifuncional | — | 1995 | — | 64 delivered between November 1995 and 2000: 57 single-seat C models assembled by Patria in Finland and seven two-seat D models built in the United States.
MaisRetirements for spare parts began in April 2024 and HN-409 was destroyed on 7 May 2025; the Air Force does not publish the current number. |
|
| Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning IIEm serviço | Caça multifuncional | 11 | 2025 | — | At least 11 by late September 2026: JF-501 to JF-508 at Ebbing ANGB for training, JF-510 and JF-512 at Rovaniemi since 18 September 2026, and JF-511 held in the Azores with an avionics fault.
MaisWhether JF-509 had been accepted was not found. |
|
| BAE Hawk Mk 51, Mk 51A e Mk 66Em serviço | Treinador a jato avançado | — | 1980 | — | 75 acquired in all: 50 Mk 51 (four built in England, the rest assembled by Valmet at Kuorevesi), seven Mk 51A in 1993–1994 and 18 ex-Swiss Mk 66 bought in 2007.
MaisPatria put the modernised fleet at 32 around 2021; 41 of 67 were withdrawn with fatigue between 2012 and 2016. |
|
| Grob G 115EEm serviço | Instrutor básico | 28 | 2016 | — | 28 acquired; deliveries began in 2016. | |
| Airbus (CASA) C-295MEm serviço | Transporte | — | 2007 | — | Number not published by the Air Force; reference works list three. | |
| Learjet 35A/SEm serviço | Liaison and utility | — | — | Number not published by the Air Force; reference works list two. | ||
| Pilatus PC-12NGEm serviço | Liaison | — | 2010 | — | Number not published by the Air Force; reference works list six. |
Sob encomenda
| Tipo | Encomendado | Primeira entrega | Notas | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II (Bloco 4)Sob encomenda | 53 | 2025 | The balance of the 64 selected on 10 December 2021 and contracted through Letters of Offer and Acceptance signed on 11 February 2022, after at least 11 delivered by late September 2026.
MaisDeliveries run to 2030. The package of about 8.378 billion euros comprised 4.703 billion for the aircraft, 754.6 million for AMRAAM and Sidewinder missiles, 2.920 billion for support to 2030, 777 million for infrastructure and 823.8 million reserved for further weapons; AIM-120D-3 missiles were ordered in December 2025. |
Every type the Finnish Air Force has retired
19 types, from the Thulin typ D to the Saab 35S, 35BS, 35FS and 35CS Draken. Os números máximos representam as aeronaves incorporadas à frota ao longo de toda a sua vida útil, e não a força total da frota em uma data específica.
| Tipo | Papel | Pico | Servido | Substituído por | Notas | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saab 35S, 35BS, 35FS e 35CS Draken | Interceptor | 49 | 1972–2000 | F/A-18 Hornet | About 49: 12 new 35S assembled by Valmet (the first completed 12 March 1974) and 37 ex-Swedish 35B, 35C and 35F. | |
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21bis | Interceptor | 26 | 1978–1998 | F/A-18 Hornet | 26 per the Wikipedia operators list, plus MiG-21UM and US trainers; six converted for reconnaissance. | |
| Fouga CM.170 Magister | Treinador a jato | 80 | 1958–1988 | BAE Hawk | 18 French-built (1958–1959) and 62 built under licence by Valmet (1958–1967). | |
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21F-13 | Interceptor | 22 | 1963–1986 | MiG-21bis | 22 per the Wikipedia operators list; the official history says only that a squadron’s worth was bought in 1962. Plus two MiG-21U trainers. | |
| Folland Gnat F.1 | Lutador | 13 | 1958–1972 | Saab 35 Draken | 11 fighters and two photo-reconnaissance aircraft. | |
| de Havilland Vampire FB.52 e T.55 | Lutador | 15 | 1953–1965 | — | Six FB.52 fighters in 1953 and nine T.55 trainers in 1955. | |
| Bristol Blenheim Mk I e Mk IV | Bombardeiro | 97 | 1937–1958 | — | 75 Mk I and 22 Mk IV: 18 bought in 1937–1938, 24 from RAF stocks during the Winter War and 55 built by the State Aircraft Factory, the last in September 1944. | |
| Messerschmitt Bf 109G | Lutador | 159 | 1943–1954 | Vampire and Gnat | 162 ordered (48 G-2, 111 G-6 and three G-8); three were destroyed in transit. | |
| Dornier Do 17Z | Bombardeiro | 15 | 1942–1952 | — | 15 received in January 1942. | |
| Brewster Modelo 239 (F2A-1 para exportação) | Lutador | 44 | 1940–1948 | Bf 109G | 44 bought in December 1939, arriving by early March 1940. | |
| Morane-Saulnier MS406 e MS410 | Lutador | 87 | 1940–1948 | — | 30 from France in February 1940, plus 46 M.S.406 and 11 M.S.410 bought from Germany by 1943. | |
| Curtiss Hawk 75A | Lutador | 44 | 1941–1948 | — | 44 captured French and Norwegian aircraft received from Germany, June 1941 to January 1944. | |
| Junkers Ju 88A-4 | Bombardeiro | 24 | 1943–1948 | — | 24 received in April 1943. | |
| Fiat G.50 Freccia | Lutador | 33 | 1940–1946 | — | 35 ordered at the end of 1939; 33 delivered, two lost in transit. | |
| Gloster Gladiador Mk II | Lutador | 30 | 1940–1945 | — | Ten donated and 20 bought from Britain, delivered 18 January to 16 February 1940. | |
| Hawker Hurricane Mk I | Lutador | 12 | 1940–1944 | — | 12 bought from Britain in February 1940; two were lost in accidents on the ferry flight. | |
| Thulin typ D | Reconhecimento | — | 1918– | — | Two served in the Civil War; numbers beyond that not verified. | |
| Bristol Bulldog IVA and IIA | Lutador | 19 | — | Fokker D.XXI | 17 Mk IVA bought, plus two Mk IIA donated by Sweden in 1939. | |
| Fokker D.XXI | Lutador | 97 | — | Brewster 239, Bf 109G | Seven ordered from the Netherlands in November 1936 and 90 built under licence by the State Aircraft Factory in four series; 35 were complete before the Winter War. |
Where the Finnish Air Force flies from
Pinos pretos são bases ativas, pinos ocos são as bases que se fecharam. All four main operating bases share their runways with civil airports, and the road bases prepared for a crisis are not published, so they are not on the map. Utti is an Army helicopter base, listed because it was the Air Force’s first land base.
| Base | OACI | Status | Pista | Unidades e aeronaves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PirkkalaSatakunta Air WingPirkanmaa | EFTP | Ativo | 06/242.700 m |
|
| RissalaKarelia Air WingSavo do Norte (Pohjois-Savo) | EFKU | Ativo | 15/332.800 m |
|
| RovaniemiLapland Air WingLapônia (Lappi) | EFRO | Ativo | 03/213,002 m |
|
| TikkakoskiAir Force AcademyFinlândia Central (Keski-Suomi) | EFJY | Ativo | 12/302,601 m |
|
| Kauhavaformer Air Force AcademyOstrobótnia do Sul (Etelä-Pohjanmaa) | EFKA | Fechado em 2014 | 17/352.700 m |
|
| Halliformer Air Force garrisonFinlândia Central (Keski-Suomi) | EFHA | Fechado em 2013 | 08/262,601 m |
|
| Poriformer Satakunta Air WingSatakunta | EFPO | Closed 1985 | 12/302,351 m17/35801 m |
|
Nenhuma base aérea corresponde a essa busca.
Who is stationed where in the Finnish Air Force
Unidades voadoras por base, unidades atuais primeiro. Fighter Squadron 11 flies in Lapland, 31 in Karelia and 41 at the Academy; 21 at Pirkkala was disbanded in 2014. Where a unit designation could not be verified, the entry says so.
- Fighter Squadron 11 (Hävittäjälentolaivue 11)Esquadrão de caça · ativo
- F/A-18C/D Hornet, F-35A Lightning II
- Fighter Squadron 31 (Hävittäjälentolaivue 31)Esquadrão de caça · ativo
- F/A-18C/D Hornet
- Supporting Air Operations Squadron (Tukilentolaivue)Transport and liaison squadron · active
- CASA C-295M, Learjet 35A/S, Pilatus PC-12NG
- Fighter Squadron 21 (Hävittäjälentolaivue 21)1985–2014
- Saab 35 Draken (ex-Swedish), F/A-18C/D Hornet
- Fighter Squadron 41 (Hävittäjälentolaivue 41)Midnight Hawks (display team) · Jet training squadron · active
- BAE Hawk Mk 51, Mk 51A e Mk 66
- Air Force Academy elementary flight trainingElementary training · active
- Grob G 115E
- Supporting Air Operations Squadron (Tukilentolaivue)1997–2014
- CASA C-295M, Learjet 35A/S, Pilatus PC-12NG
- Flying Regiment 4, later 1st Wing and Häme Air Wing (Hämeen Lennosto)1939–1973
- Bristol Blenheim, Dornier Do 17Z, Junkers Ju 88A, Messerschmitt Bf 109, de Havilland Vampire, Folland Gnat, Fouga Magister, MiG-21F, Saab 35 Draken
Nenhuma unidade corresponde a essa pesquisa.
Finnish Air Force milestones, 1914 to today
6 March: Count Eric von Rosen’s Thulin typ D lands at Vaasa — the service’s founding day. It carries von Rosen’s blue swastika, which becomes the national marking until 1945.
The flying school moves from Santahamina to Kauhava, where Finnish military pilots will train for 85 years.
November: seven Fokker D.XXI fighters ordered, with a licence under which the State Aircraft Factory builds 90 more.
30 November: the Soviet Union attacks. On 1 December a Bulldog pilot, SSgt Toivo Uuttu, is credited with the first Finnish air victory.
6 January: Lt Jorma Sarvanto shoots down six DB-3 bombers in one sortie. February–March: Gladiators, Fiats, Moranes, Hurricanes and Brewsters arrive; the war ends in March after 105 days.
25 June: Soviet air raids on Finland open the Continuation War.
The first Bf 109Gs arrive from Germany; 159 are delivered.
February: three major Soviet raids on Helsinki. September: armistice with the Soviet Union and the start of the Lapland War against Germany.
4 April: last Finnish combat sortie of the Lapland War. The swastika gives way to the blue-and-white roundel.
The Paris Peace Treaty limits the Air Force to 60 combat aircraft and 3,000 personnel and bans bomb bays and guided missiles.
The Air Force is reorganised into three wings at Luonetjärvi (Tikkakoski), Pori and Utti.
The first jets, de Havilland Vampires, arrive from Britain.
31 July: Maj. Lauri Pekuri flies a Gnat faster than sound, a Finnish first. The last Blenheim flies on 20 May.
Finland buys a squadron of MiG-21F fighters, the first MiG-21 customer outside the Warsaw Pact.
Swedish Drakens enter service; the MiG-21bis follows from 1978. East and West fly side by side until 1998.
19 December: the first BAE Hawk is delivered; the Magister goes in 1988.
The government endorses the F/A-18 Hornet; 64 are delivered from November 1995 to 2000.
16 August: the last Drakens are retired and all three fighter wings fly the Hornet.
Defence reform: flying ends at Kauhava and Fighter Squadron 21 leaves Pirkkala; the Hawks move to Tikkakoski.
The decision is taken to drop the swastika from the Air Force Command emblem; it becomes public in June 2020.
10 December: the government selects 64 F-35A fighters for about 8.378 billion euros; the Letters of Offer and Acceptance are signed on 11 February 2022.
4 April: Finland becomes NATO’s 31st member.
Four Hornets fly Icelandic air policing in January–February. 7 May: HN-409 crashes at Rovaniemi; the pilot ejects. 16 December: JF-501, Finland’s first F-35A, is rolled out at Fort Worth.
18 September: JF-510 and JF-512 land at Rovaniemi, the first F-35As in Finland. 24 September: first joint Finnish-Swedish identification of Russian aircraft.
Every war the Finnish Air Force has fought
Missões e perdas onde constam nos registros, e um espaço em branco honesto onde não constam.
- The Winter War 1939–1940 Defended Finnish airspace and supported the army against the Soviet invasion with just over a hundred aircraft
- The Continuation War 1941–1944 Fought the Soviet air forces alongside the German campaign in the east, defended Finnish cities and supported the army through the 1944 Soviet offensive
- The Lapland War 1944–1945 A special detachment of fighters and bombers supported the army in driving German forces out of Lapland under the armistice terms
- NATO air policing and Nordic QRA 2025– Since joining NATO the Air Force has flown an Icelandic air-policing rotation and integrates its 24/7 quick reaction alert with Nordic allies
Finnish Air Force news from Afterburner
Everything MiGFlug’s magazine has published on the Finnish Air Force and the aircraft it flies. Esta lista é atualizada automaticamente — novas histórias do Afterburner aparecem aqui.
Everything people ask about the Finnish Air Force
What aircraft does the Finnish Air Force fly in 2026?
What is the Finnish Air Force called in Finnish and Swedish?
When was the Finnish Air Force founded?
Why did the Finnish Air Force use a swastika?
Does the Finnish Air Force still use the swastika?
How did Finland do in the air in the Winter War?
Who shot down six bombers in one sortie?
Was the Brewster Buffalo really a success in Finland?
Who was Finland’s top fighter ace?
What fighters did Finland fly in the Second World War?
How many Bf 109s did Finland have?
Did Finland fight Germany too?
What did the Paris Peace Treaty mean for the Finnish Air Force?
Why did Finland fly both the MiG-21 and the Draken?
Was Finland the first MiG-21 customer outside the Warsaw Pact?
When did Finland get the F/A-18 Hornet?
Why did Finland choose the F-35?
How much did the F-35 deal cost Finland?
When did the first F-35s arrive in Finland?
Where will Finland’s F-35s be based?
When will the Hornet retire?
Will Finland give its Hornets to Ukraine?
What happened to Hornet HN-409?
When did Finland join NATO and what changed for the Air Force?
Does Finland use motorways as runways?
Where is the Finnish Air Force Museum?
Who commands the Finnish Air Force?
What is the Finnish Air Force’s display team?
Read the aircraft the Finnish Air Force flew
Cada tipo com uma página no Livro das Feras, primeiro em serviço e depois pelo ano em que deixou a frota.
Todos os fatos foram verificados.
- Finnish Air Force: History of the Finnish Air ForceOfficial history: 6 March 1918, Winter War, Continuation War and Lapland War figures, Paris treaty limits, jet types, Hornet assembly, 1952 wings, road bases
- Finnish Air Force: Air Force CommandAir Force Command Finland at Jyväskylä–Tikkakoski; Air Operations Centre; subordinate units
- Finnish Air Force: front page (English)Commander Timo Herranen from 1 December 2024; current news
- Finnish Air Force: About usAbout 2,000 personnel, about 1,300 conscripts a year, four main bases, 24/7 air policing, wartime tasks
- Flygvapnet (ilmavoimat.fi, Swedish-language front page)Official Swedish names: Flygvapnet, Försvarsmakten, Lapplands, Karelens and Satakunta flygflottilj, Luftkrigsskolan
- Ilmavoimat: Esittelyssä Ilmavoimien komentaja (2 December 2024)Herranen took command on 1 December 2024 as brigadier general, promoted major general on 6 December 2024; former commander of the Karelia Air Wing
- Finnish Air Force: FINAF 100Centenary 2018; Sarvanto’s six DB-3s on 6 January 1940
- Finnish Air Force: International cooperationArctic Challenge since 2013; cross-border training; FISE 2015; four-Hornet detachment capability since 2010; NATO Response Force pool 2018
- Finnish Air Force: Development of Finland’s air defence capabilityHornet decision 1992, deliveries 1995–2000, MLU 1 2006–2010, MLU 2 2012–2016, JDAM/JSOW 2017, JASSM 2018
- Ilmavoimat: The Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II is Finland’s next multi-role fighter (10 December 2021)64 F-35A Block 4, about 8.378 billion euros, cost breakdown, weapons package, 254 million euro annual operating ceiling
- Finnish Air Force: The status of the F-35 Programme (15 September 2023)Rovaniemi underground construction from September 2023; Rissala works; about 2 billion euros reserved for upgrades
- Ilmavoimat: Review of the F-35 Programme’s current status (28 November 2024)IOC beginning of 2028, FOC end of 2030, infrastructure budget raised by inflation, Lapland Hornets out by 2028
- Ilmavoimat: Finland’s first F-35A presented at a rollout ceremony (16 December 2025)JF-501 rolled out at Fort Worth 16 December 2025, first flight 8 December 2025; Minister Antti Häkkänen; serials JF-501 to JF-564
- Ilmavoimat: Finland’s first F-35A arrives at Ebbing Air National Guard Base (January 2026)JF-501 at Ebbing on 20 January 2026; about 150 personnel in US training; JF-501 to JF-508 stay at Ebbing
- Ilmavoimat: Ilmavoimien ohjaaja lensi ensimmäistä kertaa F-35A-monitoimihävittäjällä (16 April 2026)First Finnish pilot flight in the F-35A, JF-502 at Ebbing, 15 April 2026
- Finnish Air Force: Finnish Air Force to cooperate more closely with European F-35 users (17 September 2026)First Finnish F-35 pilot flight in Europe at Ørland on 17 September 2026
- Finnish Air Force: Finland’s first F-35 fighters have arrived in Finland (18 September 2026)JF-510 and JF-512 landed at Rovaniemi at 17.45 on 18 September 2026; eight Lot 17 aircraft training in the US; IOC beginning of 2028; FOC end of 2030; arrival ceremony 1 October
- Finnish Air Force: The Finnish Air Force aircraft JF-511 will arrive in Finland during this autumn (20 September 2026)Finnish and Belgian six-aircraft ferry left the US on 15 September 2026; JF-511 held in the Azores with an avionics fault
- Finnish Air Force: Finland and Sweden identify Russian aircraft together for the first time (25 September 2026)First joint Finnish-Swedish QRA identification, Gulf of Finland, 24 September 2026
- Finnish Defence Forces: F-35 ProgrammeProgramme page: Lapland Air Wing 2026, Karelia Air Wing 2028, FOC and Hornet retirement end of 2030, training at Ebbing ANGB; gives IOC as end of 2027
- Finnish Defence Forces: Building the F-35 capability becomes concrete (30 March 2026)JF-501 delivered 23 December 2025; IOC beginning of 2028; Karelia 2028; F135 engine maintenance in Finland 2030; AIM-120D-3 ordered December 2025
- Puolustusvoimat, Historia ja perinteet: IlmavoimatService history: 1918 detachments, 1936 programme, type introductions, 1952 wings, 2012–2015 reform
- Puolustusvoimat, Historia ja perinteet: Lapin lennoston historiaLuonetjärvi 1939, Rovaniemi 16 August 1973, Draken to 2000
- Puolustusvoimat, Historia ja perinteet: Karjalan lennostoAntrea 1918, Utti, Rissala 1960–1961, MiG-21 to 1998
- Puolustusvoimat, Historia ja perinteet: IlmasotakouluKauhava 1929 to 2014, Tikkakoski 2005, merger 2015
- Defence Forces Logistics Command: First HX Fighter Programme agreements signed (11 February 2022)LOAs signed by Maj. Gen. Kari Renko in Tampere; industrial participation signed by Minister Antti Kaikkonen; 64 F-35A Block 4, 2025–2030; 30 per cent industrial participation
- Puolustusministeriö: Ajankohtaista (news, September 2026)Defence Minister Häkkänen in releases of 18–28 September 2026
- NATO: Finland joins NATO as 31st Ally (4 April 2023)Accession on 4 April 2023; protocol signed 5 July 2022
- Suomen Ilmavoimamuseo: KokoelmatFinnish Air Force Museum, Tikkakoski; more than 3,600 objects
- Suomen Ilmavoimamuseo: Thulin typ D (F.1)Von Rosen’s gift, flown from Umeå to Vaasa on 6 March 1918 by Lt Nils Kindberg; swastikas on the wings
- Suomen Ilmavoimamuseo: Brewster BW-37244 bought December 1939; 480 victories; 1:32 early Continuation War ratio; BW-372 raised 1998
- Suomen Ilmavoimamuseo: Fokker D.XXI FR-110Seven ordered November 1936, 90 built by the State Aircraft Factory; 191 victories, 130 in the Winter War; FR-110 9½ victories
- Suomen Ilmavoimamuseo: Hawker Hurricane Mk I HC-45212 bought February 1940, two lost ferrying; 5½ victories in all
- The Defense Post: Finland’s air force quietly drops swastika from its emblem (2 July 2020)Decision to change the emblem made in 2017; noticed publicly on 30 June 2020; roundel since 1945
- Defense News: Swastikas on some Finland air force flags to be phased out (30 August 2025)Four unit flags from the 1950s to be replaced with an eagle design
- Aviation Safety Network wikibase 509322: F/A-18C HN-409Crash at Rovaniemi during air-show practice, 7 May 2025; pilot ejected
- Patria: Hawkit palvelleet ilmavoimia jo neljä vuosikymmentäFirst Hawk 19 December 1980; 50 plus 7 plus 18; 32 modernised aircraft in service at the time of writing
- Pirkkalainen: Ilmavoimien komentaja lensi ensimmäisen Hornetin Pirkkalasta purettavaksi (26 April 2024)First Hornet retired for spare parts; not suitable for transfer to Ukraine
- Ilmavoimat: Grob-kalusto uudistaa alkeis- ja peruslentokoulutusta (January 2018)28 Grob G 115E
- Ruotuväki: Vinka-alkeiskoulukoneiden korvaaja nostaa koulutuksen uudelle tasolleVinka farewell at Tikkakoski 31 August 2022
- Ilmavoimat: Kuljetus- ja yhteyskonekoulutusta Jämijärven lentopaikalla (30 April 2020)Supporting Air Operations Squadron types: C-295M, PC-12NG, Learjet 35A/S
- Finnish Air Force: Midnight Hawks aerobatic teamFighter Squadron 41 instructors, four Hawks, since 1997
- Lentoposti: Pirkkalan jättävät Hornetit tervehtävät Satakuntaa ja Pirkanmaata (5 June 2014)Fighter Squadron 21 farewell 6 June 2014
- Lentoposti: Lapin lennosto operoi vuoden 2028 alussa vain F-35 -kalustolla (18 September 2026)Lapland Air Wing F-35 only from early 2028
- Finnish Army: Utti Jaeger Regiment, About usArmy Helicopter Battalion: 20 NH90 and seven MD 500 (not Air Force)
- eAIP Suomi / Finland, AD 2 aerodrome data (AIRAC AMDT 06 AUG 2026)Aerodrome data for EFRO, EFKU, EFTP, EFJY and closed bases
- Finnish Air Force: Lapland Air Wing, About usPersonnel, commander, Fighter Squadron 11, cross-border training
- Ilmavoimat: Karjalan lennosto, Tietoa meistäLocation, personnel, Fighter Squadron 31 readiness for southern Finland
- Finnish Air Force: Satakunta Air Wing, About usOrganisation, commander, missions
- Ilmavoimat: Ilmasotakoulu, Tietoa meistäHawk and Grob G 115 training at Tikkakoski
- Ilmavoimat: Hawkit palasivat kotikentälle Tikkakoskelle (20 February 2024)Temporary move to Pirkkala due to runway damage
- Ilmavoimat: Lapin lennoston juhlatapahtuma Rovaniemellä 18. elokuuta (August 2023)Move from Luonetjärvi to Rovaniemi in summer 1973
- Ilmavoimat: Hallin ilmailu 80 vuotta (8 October 2020)Airfield and factory 1940; Test Flight Centre to Pirkkala 2013; Patria
- Puolustusvoimat, Historia ja perinteet: Satakunnan lennostoPori main base to 1985, Aitovuori 1965, Pirkkala 1985, Draken 1985
- Pirkkalainen: Satakunnan lennoston Tukilentolaivue järjestää Pristine Flank 26 -harjoituksen (23 April 2026)Tukilentolaivue at Pirkkala with C-295M, Learjet 35A/S and PC-12NG
- Yle: Hallin varuskunta hiljenee, mutta lentokenttä säilyy sotilaskäytössä (31 December 2013)Garrison closure 31 December 2013; airfield stays in military use
- Ilmavoimat: Lapin lennosto, Tietoa meistäFinnish-language unit page: squadrons, radar stations from northern Lapland to Kainuu; gives staff as about 450.
- Karjalan lennosto: tietoa meistäAbout 500 personnel, about 250 conscripts; unit list; HavLLv 31 rapid readiness for southern Finland with the 5th and 7th Command Centres; Flight Technical Squadron 168 people.
- F-35-hävittäjien infran rakennustyöt Karjalan lennostossa etenevät aikataulussaan (1 October 2025)Planning 2022, building from 2023, mostly done in 2027, first F-35s during 2028; shelters, maintenance, training and storage buildings; barracks early 2025; Highway 9 alternate landing site autumn 2025; Colonel Tomi Böhm commander; Lt Col Samuli Tanttu quote.
- Puolustusvoimat, Historia ja perinteet: Ilmavoimien esikuntaFounded Mikkeli 28 April 1918; Munkkiniemi 1942–1973; move to Tikkakoski 18 December 1973
- LSK Business Park: infoCurrent owner of the former school area. Name chronology incl. Lentosotakoulu 1 Feb 1941–1 Dec 1952; purchase 30 April 2014; 420 ha, 45,000 m2, about 50 tenants.
- Kauhava (EFKA)Finnish aerodrome directory. Runway 17/35 2,700 x 60 m asphalt; owner LSK Business Park Oy, operator Ilmasotakoulun Lentokerho ry; no winter maintenance.
Figures verified 2026-09-28. Order of Battle pages are regenerated from a single dataset; if a number here disagrees with a Book of Beasts page, this page is the more recent of the two.
Photographs: Photo: Julian Herzog (Website) / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0) · Photo: U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Tabatha Chapman / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: James from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Colin Cooke Photo / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Anna Zvereva from Tallinn, Estonia / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: MKFI / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Ruuhinen / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo: neznámý (unknown) / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Sot.virk. P.Jänis / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Sot.virk. V.Hollming / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Sot.virk. A.Viitasalo / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Heikki Roivainen, / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: SA-kuva / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Template:Erik Lyly / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: SA-kuva is a photograph archive site storing solely photographs from the 20th-century wart / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: unknown / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Sot.virk. Niilo Helander / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: born1945 from Hillsboro, Oregon, USA / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Heikki Immonen / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0) · Photo: Jyrki Laukkanen / Suomen Ilmailumuseo / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)