The first F-35A Lightning II destined for the Finnish Defence Force has been officially launched by Lockheed Martin at its Fort Worth, Texas, assembly plant.
The rollout forms part of Finland’s 2021 FMS agreement with Washington, under which Helsinki plans to acquire as many as 64 F-35 fighters at a cost approaching $10 billion.
Lockheed Martin previously confirmed in October that final assembly of the aircraft had been completed, noting that the initial eight jets will be stationed in Arkansas to support training activities for Finnish Air Force personnel before entering operational service.
Following delivery, the aircraft will be deployed to Lapland Air Wing in Rovaniemi and Karelia Air Wing in Siilinjärvi, forming the backbone of Finland’s future combat aviation capability.
Lockheed Martin emphasized that Finland’s F-35 program will represent the largest F-35 fleet in Europe, supported by a worldwide industrial base of over 1,900 suppliers, including 30 Finnish firms engaged in the program.
Globally, the F-35 Lightning II is operated by 20 nations, with 13 European countries already fielding the aircraft.
