That first flight came almost four years to the day that the Finnish government announced it had selected the F-35 as the winner of its HX Fighter Program.

NATO member Finland is one step closer to formally operating a fifth-generation stealth fighter. The official social media account of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II program announced on Tuesday that the maiden flight was conducted with the first F-35, airframe JF-501, built for the Nordic nation.

“Finland’s first F-35 has successfully taken to the skies, a defining stop for @FinnishAirForce future airpower,” the post on X read.

The F-35A, the conventional takeoff and landing variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, took to the skies from Lockheed Martin’s facility in Fort Worth, Texas. That first flight came almost four years to the day that the Finnish government announced it had selected the F-35 as the winner of its HX Fighter Program on December 10, 2021, the F-35 Joint Program Office noted. That program, which was initiated in late 2015, sought a viable replacement for the Finnish Air Force’s aging fleet of F/A-18 Hornet multirole fighters.

Among the aircraft considered were the Boeing-made F-15 Eagle and F/A-18 Super Hornet, France’s Dassault Rafale, the Eurofighter Typhoon, the Swedish Saab JAS-39 Gripen, and Lockheed Martin’s F-16 and F-35. The Finnish government selected the fifth-generation fighter.

The current timeline calls for the F-35 to replace the F/A-18 fleet by 2030, with the first Lightning II entering service for Finnish pilot training in the United States in early 2026. By the end of next year, the Finnish Air Force is expected to receive the first batch of F-35s at the Lapland Air Wing base, with initial operational capability achieved by late 2027. The Karelia Air Wing will then receive its F-35s beginning in 2028, with the aircraft obtaining full operational capability by the end of 2030.

Plans also call for the F/A-18C/D Hornets, which were adopted in 1992, to be retired.

The Finnish Air Force F-35As will also be equipped with Technology Refresh-3 (TR-3) upgrades, enabling future F-35 Block 4 hardware updates. TR-3 features enhanced electronic warfare capabilities, higher computing power, a more advanced processor and chipset, and new targeting and weapons systems.

Seven additional Finnish F-35s will be delivered to Ebbing Air National Guard Base (ANGB) in Kansas to train Finnish Air Force pilots.

The F-35 Will Support Finnish Industry

As part of the F-35 acquisition, Helsinki entered into agreements with Lockheed Martin and engine maker Pratt & Whitney to ensure Finnish-based companies provide components for the Lightning II. That will include the forward fuselage sections for approximately 400 F-35s, as well as final assembly of the Pratt & Whitney F135 engines. As that dramatically exceeds the needs of Finland’s 64 aircraft in the program of record, Finland will supply parts to aircraft operated by other allies and partners in Europe.

The $9.6 billion contract for the F-35 Lightning II is Finland’s most extensive defense program. In addition to the more than five dozen fighters, the Finnish Air Force will receive training, support, spares, and comprehensive sustainment.

About the F-35 Lightning II

As of this month, 20 countries have either adopted or are in the process of acquiring the F-35. More than 1,100 F-35s of all variants have been delivered, including approximately 850 F-35A models.

• Year Introduced: 2016
• Number Built: ~750
• Length: 51.4 feet
• Height: 14.4 feet
• Wingspan: 35 Feet
• Maximum takeoff weight: 70,000 lb class
• Engines: Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 turbofan with 40,000 lbs. thrust.
• Top Speed: Mach 1.6 (approximately 1,200 mph)
• Range: Over 1,350 miles with internal fuel (1,200+ nautical miles).
• Service Ceiling: Above 50,000 feet.
• Loadout: Internal 25 mm GAU-22/A cannon, two AIM-120 AMRAAMs, and two GBU-31 JDAMs.
• Aircrew: 1

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

Image: DVIDS.

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