Lockheed Martin on Tuesday debuted its first F-35A fighter jet bound for Finland.
The aerospace and defense conglomerate staged a rollout ceremony at its F-35 production facility in Fort Worth, Texas, with government officials from Finland and the U.S. in attendance.
The Finnish Air Force expects to take delivery of the aircraft in early 2026. The fighter jet will be moved to Ebbing Air National Guard Base (KFSM) in Arkansas, where pilot training will take place.
“In the Finnish operational environment, survivability, lethality, and cooperation are imperative,” Major General Timo Herranen, commander of the Finnish Air Force, said in a statement. “The F-35 will deliver unmatched capability in all those areas, and it will bring a whole new level of capability for our defense. We are looking forward to the start of F-35 operations next year.”
Finland ordered 64 F-35s—since updated to 66—in 2021, marking its entry into the global F-35 production and procurement program.
“The F-35 continues to demonstrate its ability to deter threats and prevail in combat, and it will give the Finnish Air Force a decisive edge in protecting the nation and bolstering allied partnership in the Nordic region and beyond,” Greg Ulmer, president of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, said in a news release. “The F-35 program underpins a powerful network of integrated deterrence, advancing allied cooperation, industrial strength, and shared security.”
Finland is working to replace its fleet of F/A-18 Hornets. It considered several aircraft options, including the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Dassault Rafale, but ultimately settled on the F-35.
The once-neutral country has pulled closer to Western Europe and the U.S. in recent years, partly as a response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It joined NATO in 2023, formally abandoning its long-standing policy of military non-alignment.
When deliveries are complete, Finland will have the largest F-35 fleet in northern Europe.
