Finland receives first two F-35A jets at Rovaniemi air base

Finland received its first two permanently based F-35A aircraft at Rovaniemi on Oct. 1, 2026, in a ceremony hosted by the Finnish Air Force and attended by senior Finnish government and military officials, U.S. and allied representatives, and industry partners including Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT).

Major General Timo Herranen, Commander of the Finnish Air Force, said at the ceremony: "The F-35 was chosen because it is designed for an environment like ours. Flying the F-35, our pilots can do the mission and come home to fly the next round."

Finland has now received 10 of its contracted 64 F-35A aircraft in total. Eight of those aircraft remain temporarily stationed at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas, where Finnish pilots and maintainers are undergoing training ahead of the aircraft's broader introduction into Finnish service.

Finnish company Patria earlier this year became the first company other than Lockheed Martin to produce the F-35 forward fuselage. According to the press release, 25% by value of every F-35 built is produced in Europe, with all major F-35 components now manufactured there.

The F-35 program counts more than 2,100 suppliers across more than a dozen countries and has been selected by 20 allied nations, including 13 in Europe. More than 1,375 F-35s are currently operational globally, with the fleet surpassing one million flight hours.

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