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Finland's First F-35 Jets Arrive at Rovaniemi

Simple Flying reports the aircraft touched down in September, with an official ceremony last week.

Emil O | Shutterstock

Finland now hosts its first two permanent F-35A Lightning II fighter jets, according to Simple Flying. The Lockheed Martin aircraft, registered JF-510 and JF-512, landed in Rovaniemi on Sept. 18 at 5:45 p.m. local time. An arrival ceremony 13 days later, on Oct. 1, marked their official entry into the Finnish Air Force. Four hundred guests attended.

The jets arrive as Europe's F-35 fleet expands. Finland shares a long land border with Russia and joined NATO in April 2023, becoming the alliance's 31st member. The country's air defense focus sharpened after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

  • F-35
  • Finland
  • Finnish Air Force
  • Lockheed Martin
  • NATO
  • Rovaniemi

About Fatima Haddad

Fatima Haddad covers passports, Real ID, visas and entry rules. She worked for nine years as an immigration paralegal at a Detroit law firm, then as a passport acceptance agent. She has a BA in international studies from Wayne State University and is based in the Detroit area.

Tips

New Satellites Give Stealth Pilots a Clearer Picture

Simple Flying reports that L3Harris' incoming Tracking Layer satellites will change what F-35 and B-21 pilots see on their cockpit displays, allowing passive targeting without breaking electronic silence.

Grace Whitaker