Finland and Lockheed Martin marked the arrival of the country’s first permanently based F-35A fighters at an event in Rovaniemi on 1 October 2026. The Finnish Air Force hosted the ceremony at Lapland Air Wing, where aircraft JF-510 and JF-512 were formally presented after landing in Finland on 18 September.
The event gathered senior Finnish government and military leaders, along with US and allied representatives and industry partners. It also featured the first F-35 flight by a Finnish pilot in Finland, giving the programme its first public airborne demonstration on home soil.
Finland has now received 10 of the 64 F-35A aircraft on order, while eight remain at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas for Finnish pilot and maintainer training. Delivery activity is set to continue through the end of 2030.
The F-35 will form the core of Finland’s next-generation air defence, with Lapland Air Wing expected to become the first unit to operate the type exclusively. Initial operational capability is planned for early 2028, and full operational capability is scheduled for the end of 2030.