Finland's first two F-35A fighters land at Rovaniemi air base

September 19, 2026 at 11:56 AM1 min

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Finland's first two F-35A Lightning II fighters landed at Rovaniemi air base on 18 September 2026, the Finnish Air Force confirmed. The arrival of aircraft JF-510 and JF-512 begins the domestic phase of Finland's transition from F/A-18 Hornets to a 64-aircraft F-35A fleet. The jets were escorted on their final leg by Finnish F/A-18 Hornets.

Key Facts

The first two Finnish F-35A fighters, tail numbers JF-510 and JF-512, landed at Rovaniemi air base at 17:45 local time on 18 September 2026.
Finland plans to acquire 64 F-35A aircraft to replace its F/A-18 Hornet fleet.
The two jets departed Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth facility in Texas on 15 September and made an intermediate stop at Lajes Air Base in the Azores.
Eight Finnish Lot 17 F-35As are already being used for initial training in the United States.

Arrival and Escort

The two F-35A aircraft, JF-510 and JF-512, departed Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth facility in Texas on 15 September. They made an intermediate stop at Lajes Air Base in the Azores before continuing to Finland. Flown by U.S. Air Force pilots and supported by aerial refueling, the jets entered Finnish airspace at 17:21 local time on 18 September. They landed at Rovaniemi at 17:45, escorted on the final leg by Finnish F/A-18 Hornets.

Fleet Transition

The arrival begins the domestic introduction of a combat-air system that will progressively replace the Finnish Air Force's aging F/A-18 Hornet fleet. Finland ultimately plans to place 64 F-35As at the center of its air defense. Eight Finnish Lot 17 F-35As are already being used for initial training in the United States. The arrival of JF-510 and JF-512 opens the domestic phase of the transition.