Finland's first F-35 jets have arrived in the country

Finland’s first two F-35A fighters arrived at the Lapland Air Wing in Rovaniemi on September 18, opening the domestic transition from the F/A-18 Hornet to a 64-aircraft stealth fleet. Finnish aircraft and personnel will build training, maintenance and operational processes in parallel through rigorous validation before initial operational capability in early 2028. Full capability is planned by the end of 2030, giving Finland a modern multirole platform for national defense and NATO operations, with formal arrival activities scheduled to continue in October.