Key Points and Summary – Finland marked a major airpower milestone as U.S. and Finnish officials rolled out the Finnish Air Force’s first F-35A at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth plant on December 16.
-The jet begins Helsinki’s transition from aging F/A-18C/D Hornets—bought in the 1990s—to a 64-aircraft fifth-generation fleet aligned with NATO partners.
An F-35 Lightning II, assigned to the F-35 Demonstration Team, pays tribute to the past present, and future of Air Force aviation customs and capabilities during Luke Days airshow, March 23, 2024, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. Luke Days demonstrates the Air Force’s continuing progress in building the future of airpower with military and civilian air acts including the U.S Air Demonstration team the “Thunderbirds,” F-35A Lightning II, static displays, science, technology, engineering, and math exhibits, and military operations demonstrations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Mason Hargrove)
Two U.S. Air Force F-35A Lighting IIs fly in formation with two ROKAF F-35As during Freedom Shield 25, a defense-oriented exercise featuring live, virtual, and field-based training, March 13, 2025. The aircraft participated in dynamic targeting and aerial refueling training, validating the capability of ROK and U.S. Air Forces, to find, fix, and defeat a range of threats. (Photo courtesy of Republic of Korea Air Force)
-Patria will build a new assembly site near Nokia and host an F135 engine service center, giving Finland long-term sustainment capacity.
-Tail JF-501 has flown and will deliver in early 2026, then head to Ebbing AFB for pilot training ahead of operations next year, boosting interoperability, fusion, and deterrence along Russia’s border.
Finland’s First F-35A Rolls Out in Texas as NATO’s Northern Flank Shifts
On Tuesday, 16 December, and in a ceremony at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth, Texas F-35 production facility, senior government and military officials from the United States and Finland jointly celebrated the rollout of the first F-35A Lightning II fighter to be delivered for the Finnish Air Force (FAF).
The event signifies the beginning of a new generation of Finnish air power.
Along with Finland becoming one of the most recent states to join the NATO alliance, the Nordic state’s acquisition of the US aircraft is a plus for the FAF, which had been operating a fleet of older-model F/A-18C/D models.
Their replacement with the F-35, which several other NATO members are acquiring, will “strengthen strategic trans-Atlantic relations,” said a Finnish official.
The FAF previously procured 64 F-18C/D “Classic Hornet” aircraft, comprising 57 C models and seven D models, all signed for in 1992.
The two-seat F-18Ds were built at St. Louis, while the F-18Cs were locally assembled in Finland by the local central defense industrial firm Patria.
Deliveries of the Hornets began in 1995 and concluded in 2000.
Patria is also slated to perform the assembly work on the F-35 program.
As part of the $9.6 billion contract for the aircraft, Patria will perform assembly at a new production plant under development.
The active duty 388th and Reserve 419th Fighter Wings conducted an F-35A Combat Power Exercise with 52 aircraft at Hill AFB, Utah, Jan. 6, 2020. 388th Fighter Wing photo via Facebook.
An F-35A Lightning II pilot turns his aircraft along the yellow taxi line on the 33rd Fighter Wing flightline at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (U.S. Air Force photo by Samuel King Jr./Released)
The complex will include a service center for the aircraft’s Pratt & Whitney F135 engines.
The presence of the engine facility alongside the aircraft assembly line will provide the means to support both airframe and engines throughout the aircraft’s operational lifespan.
The site for the facility was found near the town of Nokia, the famous birthplace of the Finnish mobile phone firm.
The site lease was signed in January between the Finnish Defence Forces and Defence Properties Finland, the state organization tasked with managing properties and assets owned by Finland’s defence administration.
NATO and Joint Cooperation
“Finland is a NATO member and committed to act as a dependable defense provider in the northern flank,” said Finland’s Minister of Defence, Antti Häkkänen. “Finland is investing heavily in national industrial capabilities through industrial participation, we believe that our investment and highly capable defence industry can benefit the F-35 program not just locally but also at a more global level.”
For the first time in Eglin’s air space, U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II pilots navigate their aircraft toward an Air Force Reserve KC-135R Stratotanker from the 336th Air Refueling Squadron, March ARB, Calif., May 13, 2013. The initial cadre of Air Force F-35 instructor pilots at the 33rd Fighter Wing trained with others to qualify in aerial refueling for the joint strike fighter. Their success will add another capability for student pilot training to the F-35 Integrated Training Center here. The 33rd FW is responsible for F-35 A/B/C Lightning II pilot and maintainer training for the Marine Corps, the Navy, the Air Force and, in the future, at least eight coalition partners. Initially, 59 aircraft and three flying squadrons, one for each service/aircraft variant, will be established at Eglin. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. John R. Nimmo, Sr./Released)
“In the Finnish operational environment, survivability, lethality and cooperation are imperative,” said Major General Timo Herranen, Commander of the Finnish Air Force. “The F-35 will deliver unmatched capability in all those areas, and it will bring a whole new level of capability for our defence. We are looking forward to the start of F-35 operations next year.”
The F-35 program has become the choice uniting 20 allied nations that have selected the aircraft for their air forces, 13 of which are in Europe.
The aircraft is already in active service with 16 air forces worldwide.
“The F-35 continues to demonstrate its ability to deter threats and prevail in combat, and it will give the Finnish Air Force a decisive edge in protecting the nation and bolstering allied partnership in the Nordic region and beyond,” said Greg Ulmer, the president of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. “The F-35 program underpins a powerful network of integrated deterrence, advancing allied cooperation, industrial strength and shared security.”
Next-Generation Technology with F-35 Stealth Fighter
With its unmatched interoperability, Finland’s F-35s are expected to enhance the integration between the different branches of the Finnish Defence Forces and employ its 5th-generation sensor and datalink capacities to connect Finnish defense assets across domains.
This will increase situational awareness for Finland and its NATO allies, particularly along the country’s lengthy border with Russia.
Su-57 Felon. Image Credit: Russian Government.
The Finnish industry is part of a global network of more than 1,900 F-35 suppliers. Lockheed Martin has partnered with more than 30 companies and academic institutions across Finland. Lockheed is today transferring cutting-edge technologies and expertise that promote innovation and growth in Finland’s aerospace sector.
Finland’s first F-35A multirole fighter, tail number JF-501, has completed its maiden flight from Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth facility in Texas and will be delivered to the Finnish Air Force in early 2026.
It will then ferry to Ebbing Air Force Base, Arkansas, where F-35A pilot training takes place. Finland’s program of record calls for 64 F-35As, the largest F-35 fleet in northern Europe.
The first aircraft will arrive in the country next year.
About the Author: Reuben F. Johnson
Reuben F. Johnson has thirty-six years of experience analyzing and reporting on foreign weapons systems, defense technologies, and international arms export policy. Johnson is the Director of Research at the Casimir Pulaski Foundation. He is also a survivor of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. He worked for years in the American defense industry as a foreign technology analyst and later as a consultant for the U.S. Department of Defense, the Departments of the Navy and Air Force, and the governments of the United Kingdom and Australia. In 2022-2023, he won two awards in a row for his defense reporting. He holds a bachelor’s degree from DePauw University and a master’s degree from Miami University in Ohio, specializing in Soviet and Russian studies. He lives in Warsaw.
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