Finnish and Swedish fighter jets jointly intercepted and identified Russian military aircraft over the Gulf of Finland on 24 September, in the first operational identification mission conducted together by the two air forces. Finnish F/A-18 Hornets and Swedish JAS 39 Gripens were scrambled under Quick Reaction Alert cooperation to track a Russian formation in international airspace, including a Tu-134 transport aircraft, MiG-31 fighters and Su-30 fighters.
The mission was led by Finland’s Air Operations Centre as part of tighter Nordic air-defence coordination since both countries joined NATO. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said the operation showed how QRA cooperation can help safeguard both countries’ airspace. The intercept comes amid continued tension in the Baltic region, where military overflights, drone sightings and infrastructure disruptions have kept air-policing missions under close watch.