Finland carries out flight training missions with Sweden and NATO forces
About 20 air assets from Finland, Sweden and three other NATO members nations conduct a two-day joint training mission.
The three NATO nations were Poland, France and the United States.
The exercise takes place between December 7 and 8. It was carried out in the international skies above the Baltic Sea region, as well as above the airspace of Finland, Sweden and other Baltic countries.
The exercise involved the participation of a total of eight people Finnish F/A-18 Hornet attack aircraft and Sweden’s JAS 39 Gripen multi-role combat aircraft.
Other aircraft include the US Air Force’s (USAF) KC-46A Pegasus air-to-air refueling tanker aircraftFrench Air Force Rafale aircraft and Polish Air Force F-16 fighter jet.
Throughout the exercise, the eight Finnish F/A-18 aircraft operated from their home base.
The exercise was conducted as part of the Finnish Air Force’s daily flight operations and involved Finnish Hornet fighter jets performing refueling operations with USAF KC-46A Pegasus aircraft.
It was the first time Finnish Hornets received fuel from USAF aircraft.
However, the Finnish Air Force conducts several regular training missions with the Swedish Air Force and NATO Baltic Air Policing detachments, including those from Italy, Poland and France.
According to to a tweet from the Finnish Air Forcethe second day’s activity will involve the 31st Fighter Flotilla assigned under the Finnish Air Force’s peacetime unit Karelia Air Command, conducting a night flight training mission from Rissalaba base.
2016, the Finnish Air Force’s Hornet aircraft conducted a similar bilateral air exercise with USAF aircraft and forces at Rissala Air Base in Finland.