First Finnish F-35s Depart U.S. for Europe

The first F-35A fighter jets for the Finnish Air Force have departed the United States.

Finnish aviation publication Lentoposti reported this.

A group of three new Finnish aircraft departed Lockheed Martin’s facility in Fort Worth, Texas, on September 15, heading for the Azores. They are flying alongside three F-35s for the Belgian Air Force, supported by tanker aircraft.

According to the previously released plan, U.S. pilots will fly the new fighter jets across the Atlantic to Finland. The route’s intermediate stop is the Azores, an autonomous region of Portugal in the North Atlantic.

The official presentation of the new F-35 fighter jets will take place on October 1 at the Rovaniemi air base. The command of the Lapland Air Wing said the base is ready to receive the first aircraft, although the necessary infrastructure will continue to be developed for several more years.

15/09/2026 Flyby of 6x F-35A Lightning II for delivery to Finland and Belgium landing at Lajes Field @DefenceGeek @MATA_osint @AUX_OSINT @ArmchairAdml #F35 pic.twitter.com/fsK07WqoJ1

— Diogo (@x_diogo_01) September 15, 2026

Finland’s transition to fifth-generation fighter jets began in late 2015 with the launch of the HX Fighter Program. The tender aimed to replace the aging fleet of F/A-18C/D Hornets, which were nearing the end of their service life.

In addition to the U.S. company Lockheed Martin with the F-35A, the competition included Boeing with the F/A-18 Super Hornet, Dassault with the Rafale, the Eurofighter consortium with the Typhoon, and Sweden’s Saab with the JAS 39 Gripen E.

Following testing and an assessment of combat effectiveness, price, and maintenance costs, the Finnish government officially selected the F-35A Lightning II in December 2021.

The total value of the signed contract was approximately €8.4 billion. The agreement covers the delivery of 64 F-35A multirole fighters in the latest configuration, as well as weapons, training equipment, and maintenance services.

The first Finnish F-35As rolled off Lockheed Martin’s assembly line in the United States in late 2025. Finnish pilots and engineering personnel began initial training at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.

According to the delivery schedule, the first Finnish F-35A squadron is expected to reach initial operational readiness at Rovaniemi Air Base by the end of 2026, while the full transition of all air wings to the new aircraft is scheduled for completion by 2030.