Finland Welcomes Its First Two F-35A Fighters at Rovaniemi

Finland has taken delivery of its first two permanent F-35A Lightning II fighters, opening a handover programme that will see 64 aircraft join the Finnish Air Force by 2030. The two jets, registered JF-510 and JF-512, touched down at Rovaniemi Air Base in Lapland on 18 September 2026, and a formal welcome ceremony followed on 1 October.

A ceremony in the Arctic

The ceremony drew around 400 guests, including President Alexander Stubb, Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen, Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Timo Herranen and US Ambassador Howard Brodie. F-35 Joint Program Office head Lt. Gen. Gregory Masiello and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics president Orlando Sanchez Jr. also attended.

Stubb gave the lead aircraft the name “Sisu”, a Finnish word that describes perseverance in the face of adversity. The Finnish Air Force described the jets as providing power projection, security and situational awareness in the Arctic region, a theme that matches the country’s long border with Russia and its April 2023 accession to NATO.

What Finland is buying

Finland selected the F-35A in 2021 to replace its ageing F/A-18C/D Hornet fleet. The programme covers 64 aircraft and is valued at roughly EUR10 billion, according to reporting by Simple Flying; Breaking Defense cites a figure of $9.4 billion for the 2021 purchase agreement. Deliveries are due to run through 2030.

Eight further Finnish jets are currently based in the United States, where they are used for maintenance and training. Initial operational capability is targeted for early 2028, with full capability by the end of 2030.

Finnish industry is also taking part. Patria produces the forward fuselage for the F-35, the first company other than Lockheed Martin to build that section, which gives the Finnish programme a domestic manufacturing link beyond simple purchase.

Europe’s growing F-35 fleet

Finland’s arrival adds to a rapidly expanding European fifth-generation fleet. Breaking Defense reports that roughly 700 F-35s are expected to operate across Europe by the 2030s, and the Finnish Air Force has said it intends to share operational activity with allied air forces. The jets are expected to remain in service into the 2060s.

For NATO planners, the Rovaniemi basing is significant. Northern Finland places the aircraft close to the alliance’s northern flank, and the base has already hosted visiting US F-35s on exercises. Permanent Finnish F-35s there will shorten response times and add a modern sensor platform to air-surveillance efforts in the High North.

The next milestones will be additional deliveries from Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth line, the build-up of Finnish pilots and maintainers on the type, and the move towards initial operational capability in 2028.