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Suomen Ilmavoimat
Finländska flygvapnet
Finnish Air Force

General Established: March 6, 1918 Personnel: 3,100 Commander: LtGen Heikki Lyytinen Motto: Qualitas Potentia Nostra "Quality is our Strength" Components Finnish Air Force History History of the Finnish Air Force Timeline of the Finnish Air Force List of WWII aces from Finland Aircraft List of FAF aircraft Personnel FAF ranks Related content Finnish Army Aviation Finnish Border Guard Aviation

The Finnish Air Force (FAF) (Finnish: Ilmavoimat, Swedish: Flygvapnet) is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. Its peacetime tasks are airspace surveillance, identification flights, and production of readiness formations for wartime conditions'.^[1] As a separate branch of the military, the Finnish Air Force is one of the oldest in the world, having existed since the year 1918.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Winter War 1939-40 1.2 Continuation War 1941-44 2 Aircraft inventory 2.1 Helicopters 2.2 UAVs 2.3 F-18 Hornet 3 Organisation 3.1 Headquarters (Jyväskylä-Tikkakoski) 3.1.1 Air Support Squadron 3.1.2 C4I Materiel Command 3.2 Lapland Air Command (Rovaniemi) 3.2.1 Fighter Squadron 11 (Hävittäjälentolaivue 11, HävLLv 11) 3.3 Satakunta Air Command (Tampere-Pirkkala) 3.3.1 Fighter Squadron 21 (HävLLv 21) 3.4 Karelian Air Command (Kuopio-Rissala) 3.4.1 Fighter Squadron 31 (HävLLv 31) 3.5 Air Force Academy (Kauhava) 3.5.1 Fighter Squadron 41 (HävLLv 41) 3.5.2 Training Squadron 3.6 Air Force Air Material Command (Tampere) 3.7 Flight Test Center (Halli) 3.7.1 Aircraft and Weapon Systems School 4 Commanders 5 See also 6 References 7 External links

The first airplane was donated, against official Swedish government opinion, by the Swedish Count Eric von Rosen in 1918. To hide a flying school advertisement on the side, he had his good luck charm, the blue swastika, painted on the white, circular advertisement. This resulted in the "blue swastika in a white circle" symbol, which has been the symbol of the Finnish Air Force ever since. This has nothing to do with German Nazi use of the symbol, as the swastika is a traditional Scandinavian decoration. The political climate after the Second World War dictated that the symbol be replaced by a roundel of the same colors, but the swastika symbol remains in use in decorations and some flags.

The Finnish Air Force assigns the matriculation numbers to its aircraft by assigning each type a two-letter code following by dash and an individual aircraft number. The two-letter code refers to the aircraft type name, such as HN for F/A-18 Hornet, DK for Saab J-35 Draken, VN for Valmet Vinka etc.

The Winter War began on November 30, 1939 by the Soviet Union bombing 21 Finnish municipalities. From the Soviet Union's estimated 5,000 airplanes in 1939 about 700 fighters and 800 medium bombers were brought to Finland for the Red Army's ground forces command. The bombardment of Finnish industry and railways was not efficient.

The Finnish army had 17 bombers and 31 fighters at the beginning of the Winter War. There were 54 liaison aircraft but 20 of them were used only for messengers. The most modern aircraft in the Finnish arsenal were Bristol Blenheim bombers built under license in Finland. The primary fighter aircraft was the Fokker D.XXI, a cheap but maneuverable design with fabric-covered tube fuselage and fixed landing gear. On paper, this force should have been no match for the attacking Soviet Red Air Force.

The Finnish command had learned that the new German Blitzkrieg tactics involved the destruction of enemy aircraft on the ground at their airfields. In order to prevent similar destruction, Finnish planes were decentralized to many different airfields and hidden in forests. Fake targets were made and many airfields also had shrapnel protection for the planes. Soviet air raids on Finnish airfields usually caused little or no damage as a result, and often resulted in interception of the attackers by the Finns as the bombers flew homeward.

The Finnish Air Force shot down 218 Soviet Air planes during the Winter War while losing only 47 to enemy fire. The Finnish anti-aircraft is also said to have shot down 314 enemy planes. 30 Soviet planes were captured -- "kills" which landed more or less intact within Finland and were quickly repaired.

The Finnish Air Force was prepared better for the Continuation War, with 550 planes, though many were considered second-rate and thus "exportable" by their countries of origin. Finland purchased a large number of aircraft during the Winter War, but few of those reached service during the short conflict. Politics also played a factor, since Hitler did not wish to antagonize the Soviet Union by allowing aircraft exports through German-controlled territory during the conflict. New aircraft types were in place by the time hostilities with Russia resumed in 1941. Small numbers of Hawker Hurricanes arrived from England, Morane-Saulnier M.S.406s from France, Fiat G.50s from Italy, a few dozen Curtiss Hawk 75s captured by the Germans in France and Norway then sold to Finland, and numerous Brewster B239s from the neutral USA strengthened the FiAF. The FiAF proved capable of holding its own in the upcoming battles with the Red Air Force. Older models, like the Fokker D.XXI and Gloster Gladiator, were replaced in front-line combat units with the new aircraft.

The FiAF's main mission was to achieve air superiority over Finland and prevent Soviet air power from reinforcing their front lines. The fighter squadrons were very successful in the Finnish offensive of 1941. A stripped-down, more maneuverable, and significantly lightened version of the American Brewster B239 "Buffalo" was the FiAF's main fighter until 1943. Results with this fighter were very good, even though the type was considered to be a failure in the US Navy & with British Far East forces. In the Finnish use, the Brewster had a victory rate of 32:1 - 459 kills while losing only 15. German Bf 109s replaced the B239 as the primary front-line fighter of the FiAF in 1943, though the Buffalos continued in secondary roles until the end. Other types, especially the Italian Fiat G.50 and Curtiss Hawk 75 also proved capable in the hands of well-trained Finnish pilots. Various Russian designs also saw action when lightly-damaged "kills" were repaired and made airworthy.

Dornier 17s (received as a gift from Hermann Göring in 1942) and Junkers 88s gave more capacity to the bombing capability of the Finnish Air Force. The bomber units flew assorted missions with varying results, but a large part of their time was spent in training. Thus the bomber squadrons of Flying Regiment 4 were ready for the summer battles of 1944, which included for example the Battle of Tali-Ihantala.

While the FiAF was successful in its mission, the conditions were not easy. Spare parts for the FiAF planes were scarce -- parts from the US (Buffalo & Hawk), Britain (Hurricanes), and Italy (G.50) were unavailable for much of the war. Repairs took often a long time, and the State Aircraft Factory was burdened with restoration/repair of Soviet war booty planes, foreign aircraft with many hours of flight time, and the development of indigenous Finnish fighter types.

Finland was required to expel or intern remaining German forces as part of its peace agreement with the Soviets in mid-1944. As a result, the final air battles are against the retreating Luftwaffe.

The Finnish Air Force did not bomb any civilian targets during either war.^{[citation needed]} Curiously, also overflying Soviet towns and bases was forbidden, as to avoid any unneeded provocations and to spare equipment.

Main article: List of aircraft in the Finnish Air Force

Aircraft	Code	Origin	Type	Versions	In service[2]	Notes
BAE Hawk	HW	United Kingdom	trainer	Hawk 51/51A	50
Boeing F-18 Hornet	HN	Finland  United States	fighter trainer	F-18C F-18D	56 7	F-18C built by Patria Finavitec
Fokker F27	FF	Netherlands	transport	F27-100 F27-400M	1 1
EADS CASA C-295	CC	Spain	transport	C-295M	2
Learjet 35	LJ	United States	VIP special mission	Learjet 35A	3
Piper PA-31	PC	United States	liaison	PA-31-350 Chieftain	6
Valmet L-70 Vinka	VN	Finland	trainer		28
Valmet L-90 Redigo	RG	Finland	liaison		9

Certain aircraft are scheduled for replacement:

• Fokker F27: The Fokkers will continue to serve side-by-side with the EADS CASA C-295Ms but will be replaced in a few years time.[1]
• Hawk Mk.51A: These can also be fitted with AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and ground attack munitions. They are to be replaced by new planes, of a so far unknown model, in the next decade.
• Piper PA-31: Currently the FAF are also planning to replace the Chieftains with 8 new liaison aircraft. Tenders have been invited from Pilatus Aircraft, Raytheon Aircraft Company and B-N Group. [2].

There are also plans to purchase 2-3 larger transport aircraft, to fulfill the requirements for domestic operations and for troop and logistics transports in international operations, as well as to form a tactical reserve for the evacuating of people from hazardous areas. The suggestions range from the Airbus A330 MRTT, Airbus A400M to the C-17 Globemaster III. [3]

The Finnish defence forces operates several helicopter types as part of the army wing. All helicopters are attached to the Jaeger Regimen't Helicopter Flight at Utti. Helicopter types include Hughes 500D, Hughes 500E, Mil Mi-8T, and Mil Mi-8P. Twenty NHI NH90 are on order.

All UAVs are currently operated by the Army's Artillery brigade. The UAV Unit is stationed in Niinisalo. The Army operates the RUAG Ranger. Patria has also developed a Mini-UAV, which has been field tested by the Finnish Army.

The F-18 Hornet is the Finnish Air Force variant of the Boeing IDS F/A-18 Hornet multi-role attack and fighter aircraft. It lacks certain avionics, target acquisition and weapon control features, limiting its capability to engage ground targets. The variant is also used by the Swiss Air Force.

The decision to purchase the aircraft (64 in total, with 7 two-seat F-18D models and 57 single-seated F-18C models) was made in 1992, soon after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. The original plan was to buy about 40 western fighters and about 20 Soviet fighters due to political reasons, but the collapse of the Soviet Union removed the political reason to also buy Soviet aircraft. The plan changed to 60 single-seat + 7 dual seat fighters of the same type, and the F-18 won the contest. Due to the F-18's high price, the number of fighters to be purchased was decreased by three, to 57+7.

A key goal in the Finnish foreign policy of that era was to take no action that might be interpreted by the Soviets as a security threat; a weapons purchase of this magnitude certainly applied. Buying only NATO-compatible, American fighter jets were not possible for Finland before the U.S.S.R.'s collapse.

The primary reason for the lack of ground attack features in the aircraft is the semantic meaning of the word "attack". For example, Finland has Defence Forces, not an army — even the possibility of Finland ever attacking its neighbors is denied on all levels. This made the policy decision to purchase attack aircraft impossible in the nineties aftermath of finlandization, leading to factory reconfiguration of the F/A-18 to the F-18 variant. A similar rationale also led the Swiss Air Force to purchase 34 F-18s in 1991. A ban on bombers was also mandated by the Paris peace treaty of 1947. This ban was later unilaterally rejected by Finland, but it played a part in the original specification and the competition.

It is widely believed that the removed features can be reinstalled with comparative ease if a regional conflict or a similar need so dictates.

The F-18 Hornet is the second U.S. Navy fighter in the Finnish Air Force, following the 1939 purchase of the Brewster F2A.

In 7 December 2004 the Finnish Air Force announced that it will reinstall the missing features in order to enable ground attack capability for the Hornets.^[3]

The FAF will test the following weapon types if approved by the U.S. Congress:

• 67 AN/APG-73 Expand 4/5 Upgrades,
• 3 AN/RT-1851 Radio Transmitters,
• 5 Multifunctional Information Display Systems (MIDS/LVT),
• 10 Advanced Tactical Forward Looking Infrared Radar (ATFLIR),
• 4 AN/ALR-67V(3) Radar Warning Receivers,
• 5 AN/AYK-14 Mission Computer Upgrades,
• 2 GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM),
• 2 AGM-154A Joint Stand Off Weapons (JSOW),
• 1 AGM-84K Stand-Off Land Attack Missile/Expanded Response (SLAM-ER), and
• 1 AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missiles (AARGM).

The proposed program support includes recorders, receivers, devices, systems, APX-111 Combined Interrogator Transponders Mode S, components improvement program, spare and repair parts, support and test equipment, publications and technical data, personnel training and equipment, U.S. Government and contractor engineering and other related elements of logistics and program management support. The estimated cost is $300 million.

There has been some advance information that the AARGM won't be approved for Finnish testing.

Finnish Defence Forces Finnish Army Air Force Finnish Navy

The Air Force is organised into three commands, each of which operates a fighter squadron:

• 1st Flight F27-100 and F27-400M, Valmet Vinka, PA-31-350 Chieftain, PA-28R Arrow II/IV, Valmet L-90TP Redigo
• 2nd Flight Gates 35A/S Learjet
• 3rd Flight F27-100 (Sigint)

• 1st Flight F-18C/D
• 2nd Flight F-18C/D
• 3rd Flight Valmet Vinka, PA-31-350 Chieftain, PA-28R Arrow II/IV, Valmet L-90TP Redigo

• 1st Flight F-18C/D
• 2nd Flight F-18C/D
• 3rd Flight Valmet Vinka, PA-31-350 Chieftain, PA-28R Arrow II/IV, Valmet L-90TP Redigo

• 1st Flight F-18C/D
• 2nd Flight F-18C/D
• 3rd Flight Valmet Vinka, PA-31-350 Chieftain, PA-28R Arrow II/IV, Valmet L-90TP Redigo

• 1st Flight Hawk Mk 51/51A
• 2nd Flight Hawk Mk 51/51A
• 3rd Flight Hawk Mk 51/51A

• 1st Flight Valmet Vinka
• 2nd Flight Hawk Mk 51/51A
• 3rd Flight Valmet L-90TP Redigo, Valmet Vinka, PA-28R Arrow II/IV

• F-18C/D, Hawk Mk 51/51A, Valmet Vinka, Valmet L-90TP Redigo, PA-28R Arrow II

The three commands are part of the Defence Forces' Readiness formations.

Rank	Name	From	To
Captain	Carl Seber	April 28, 1918	December 13, 1918
Lieutenant Colonel	Torsten Aminoff	December 14, 1918	January 9, 1919
Colonel	Sixtus Hjelmmann	January 10, 1919	October 25, 1920
Major	Aarne Somersalo	October 26, 1920	February 2, 1926
Colonel	Väinö Vuori	February 2, 1926	September 7, 1932
Lieutenant General	Jarl Lundqvist	September 8, 1932	June 29, 1945
Lieutenant General	Frans Helminen	June 30, 1945	November 30, 1952
Lieutenant General	Reino Artola	December 1, 1952	December 5, 1958
Major General	Fjalar Seeve	December 6, 1958	September 12, 1964
Lieutenant General	Reino Turkki	September 13, 1964	December 4, 1968
Lieutenant General	Eero Salmela	February 7, 1969	April 21, 1975
Lieutenant General	Rauno Meriö	April 22, 1975	January 31, 1987
Lieutenant General	Pertti Jokinen	February 1, 1987	January 31, 1991
Lieutenant General	Heikki Nikunen	February 1, 1991	April 30, 1995
Major General	Matti Ahola	May 1, 1995	August 31, 1998
Lieutenant General	Jouni Pystynen	September 1, 1998	December 31, 2004
Lieutenant General	Heikki Lyytinen	January 1, 2005

• List of air forces

• Finnish Air Force
• Pictures of Finnish Air Force aircraft at Airliners.net
• Finnish Defence Forces: Presentation of equipment: Interceptor fighter
• Flugrevue article about the Swiss Air Force's F-18s