Finland presents first F-35As at Rovaniemi as Finnish pilot flies the jet at home

Finland presented its first two F-35A Lightning II fighters based on Finnish soil at Lapland Air Wing in Rovaniemi on October 1, 2026. The aircraft, JF-510 and JF-512, had arrived on September 18. The ceremony included the first flight of an F-35 in Finland by a Finnish pilot, Lieutenant Colonel Jaakko Sointu.

About 400 guests attended the event. President Alexander Stubb, Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen and the commander of the Finnish Air Force, Major General Timo Herranen, were among those present. Stubb linked the new aircraft to Finnish security and situational awareness in the Arctic. Herranen stressed that receiving the jets begins a longer process of training and operational preparation within NATO’s integrated air and missile defence system.

The presentation followed the fighters’ arrival at Rovaniemi 13 days earlier. It marked a visible step in Finland’s transition from its F/A-18 Hornet fleet, which remains in service while the new aircraft and their support system are introduced.

Training and deliveries through 2030

Finland has ordered 64 F-35As. Ten had been delivered by the time of the ceremony, according to Lockheed Martin. Eight were temporarily at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas, where Finnish pilots and maintainers are training. Training in the United States is expected to continue until early 2028.

Maintenance training in Rovaniemi is due to begin before the end of 2026, with pilot training scheduled for January 2027. Finnish instructors who have already trained in the United States will work with personnel from the United States, Norway and Denmark. The Finnish Defence Forces set out the training and readiness timetable after the presentation.

Lapland Air Wing is expected to achieve initial operational capability in early 2028 and then operate only the F-35. Karelia Air Wing is due to receive its first aircraft later that year. Finland plans full operational capability and the completion of deliveries by the end of 2030, with Hornets serving alongside F-35s during the transition.

Nordic cooperation and Finnish industry

Finland is also working with other European operators. A 2025 “Capacity on Call” memorandum with Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium covers the shared use of F-35 aircraft, personnel and weapons. A Finnish pilot flew a Norwegian F-35 from Ørland Air Base on September 17, one day before the first two Finnish jets arrived in Rovaniemi.

The programme has an industrial role in Finland as well. Patria began producing forward fuselage assemblies for the F-35 in 2026, becoming the first company outside Lockheed Martin to manufacture that section. More F-35s are expected to arrive in Finland this autumn.