Commander of Finnish Air Force reviews F-35 production and training facilities in U.S.

Finland’s first F-35A multirole fighters are currently under construction at Lockheed Martin’s main assembly facility. The visit provided updates on both the manufacturing process and the practical arrangements for initial pilot and personnel training.

“The production of Finland’s F-35s is progressing as planned,” said Major General Herranen after touring the Fort Worth site. “It has been valuable to see firsthand how the aircraft come together and how the training of our personnel is being prepared.”

At the nearly 1.5-kilometre-long Fort Worth assembly line, Major General Herranen observed the assembly of the fourth Finnish aircraft, JF-504, alongside jets from other user nations. A Finnish flag was displayed on a production station screen, marking the presence of Finnish aircraft within the facility.

The designation ‘JF’, meaning Joint Fighter, has been assigned to Finland’s F-35s, while ‘MF’ is used internally by Lockheed Martin to represent Finnish aircraft. Production of the first aircraft began in late 2023, with the forward fuselage of the lead aircraft, JF-501, commemorated during a signing ceremony last autumn.

Manufacturing an F-35 takes approximately 18 months, starting with global component production and concluding with assembly and testing in Fort Worth. Final steps include stealth coating, system and flight testing, and delivery to the U.S. Department of Defense for handover to customer countries through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process.

Finland’s first eight F-35s will be delivered to the Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas for training purposes. Aircraft with tail numbers from JF-509 onward will be delivered directly to Finland.

During his visit, Major General Herranen also took part in a simulator training event at Lockheed Martin using the Manned Tactical Simulator (MTS) system. Finnish pilots trained on advanced cockpit procedures and tactics to prepare for upcoming instruction in the U.S.

“Simulator exercises have laid a strong foundation for our pilots,” said Major General Herranen. “It is encouraging to hear from U.S. instructors that our personnel are demonstrating both excellent fundamental skills and rapid learning capabilities.”

Finland will operate both Full Mission Simulators (FMS) and the FENIX simulator system for domestic training. The FENIX system is already in use at Satakunta Air Wing, while the FMS simulators will offer more advanced, realistic mission-based training environments.

In Arkansas, Ebbing Air National Guard Base and the city of Fort Smith have been making preparations to host Finnish personnel. The local community and base leadership have expressed a warm welcome and commitment to supporting Finnish trainees.

After completing initial theoretical and simulator phases in Florida, Finnish aircrew and maintenance teams will proceed to Fort Smith for hands-on training. This marks a key phase in Finland’s integration of the F-35 into its defence capabilities under NATO.

The F-35 programme continues to evolve globally, with over 1,150 aircraft delivered and more than one million flight hours accumulated. Finland is among 20 nations—13 of them European—that are now part of the international F-35 user community.

More information: Finnish Air Force.