Finland’s First F-35 Jet Performs Maiden Flight

Finland’s first F-35A fighter jet completed its maiden flight on December 9, pushing forward the country’s largest-ever defense acquisition as it prepares to retire its F/A-18 Hornets.

The aircraft, airframe JF-501, lifted off from Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth plant weeks after moving out of final assembly on October 29.

Finland signed an agreement, estimated to be around $9 billion, in early 2022 for 64 F-35A jets, weapons, training, and long-term support. The selection, made under the HX Fighter Program, followed an open contest against Boeing’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and Saab’s Gripen. Deliveries run from 2026 to 2030.

All Finnish F-35As incorporate the TR-3 (Technology Refresh 3) package, which enables future Block 4 hardware upgrades. TR-3 provides expanded electronic warfare functions, higher computing power with a new processor and chipset, and improved targeting and weapons integration.

The first eight aircraft will reportedly be delivered in the latter half of 2026 to Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Arkansas, where Finnish pilots and crews will train. Airframes from JF-509 onward will fly directly to Finland’s Lapland Air Wing in Rovaniemi to join 11 Squadron. Karelia Air Wing’s Rissala Air Base will receive its F-35As from 2028, becoming Finland’s second operating hub.