Finnish Air Force conducted joint fires training event with U.S. and Norwegian F-35s

The training event involved Finnish F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets, along with two United States Air Force and two Royal Norwegian Air Force F-35A Lightning II jets. These aircraft operated out of the Satakunta Air Wing’s Pirkkala Air Base in Finland.

The primary goal of the event was to assess and develop the capability of Allied F-35s to provide targeting support for Finnish Army and Navy weapon systems. Colonel Tommi Heikkala, Deputy Chief of Staff at Air Force Command Finland, emphasized the significance of this collaboration, stating, “In the future, F-35 fighter jets will provide significant new capabilities for Finland’s defence system as a whole. The fighter’s radar and other sensors will enable effective support for land and sea combat from the air.”

In addition to the Joint Fires exercises, the event included Fighter Integration (FI) training missions, where Finnish F/A-18 Hornets worked alongside the Allied F-35s. These missions aimed to optimize the capabilities of fourth and fifth generation fighter jets, capitalizing on the unique strengths of each aircraft type.

Flight operations during the training event were conducted from Pirkkala Air Base, with the exercises taking place in training areas located in Central Finland and the Gulf of Finland. The event marked a significant milestone in strengthening Finland’s defence cooperation with its NATO partners and advancing the integration of advanced military technology.