“The objective of Protective Fence 25 is to strengthen the Finnish Air Force’s defence capability and readiness,” said Finnish Colonel Vesa Mäntylä, Exercise Director and Deputy Chief of Staff at Air Force Command Finland. “During the exercise, we will conduct large-force air operations from a dispersed basing posture, in line with our concept of operations.”
Aircraft will be deployed from several Finnish air bases, including Rovaniemi, Kuopio-Rissala, Jyväskylä-Tikkakoski and Tampere-Pirkkala, along with civilian airports in Oulu, Vaasa and Kokkola-Pietarsaari, and Kallax Air Base in Luleå, Sweden. Participating aircraft include Finnish F/A-18 Hornets, Hawk trainers, NH90 helicopters, and support aircraft, with contributions from Swedish Gripens and C-130 Hercules, Danish Hercules, and a Dornier 228 surveillance aircraft from the Finnish Border Guard.
The Finnish Army is also supporting the exercise with ground-based air defence and electronic warfare units. Protective Fence 25 is synchronised with TARASSIS, a UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force activity, reflecting NATO’s Agile Combat Employment concept by dispersing forces to improve survivability and rapid response.
“By exercising dispersed operations together with Allies, we strengthen our ability to fight as part of a larger coalition. Protective Fence 25 demonstrates our capacity to operate flexibly across Finland and beyond, ensuring we remain ready to respond in any situation,” Mäntylä added.
