Finland has received its first two F-35A Lightning II fighters at the Lapland Air Wing in Rovaniemi, beginning the domestic integration phase of its 64-aircraft acquisition from Lockheed Martin. Helsinki agreed to the $9.4-billion package in 2022 to replace its aging F/A-18 Hornet fleet.The aircraft, identified as JF-510 and JF-512, reached Finland following a transatlantic ferry flight from Lockheed Martin’s facility in Fort Worth, Texas. During the reception ceremony, President Alexander Stubb named the first aircraft “Sisu,” a Finnish term associated with exceptional perseverance, and linked the aircraft’s role to wider NATO deterrence efforts.The arrival follows the completion of Finland’s first domestically produced F135 engine for its future F-35 fleet. Eight more Finnish F-35s are currently stationed at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas for pilot and sustainment training. Finland expects to reach initial operational capability by early 2028 and complete full operational capability across its armed forces by the end of the decade.
