| Finnish Air Force | |
|---|---|
 Badge of the Finnish Air Force | |
| Founded | 6 March 1918; 107 years ago (1918-03-06)[1] |
| Country |  Finland |
| Branch | Air force |
| Role | Aerial warfare |
| Size |
|
| Part of | Finnish Defence Forces |
| Mottos |
|
| Total aircraft | 159 |
| Engagements | |
| Website | Finnish Air Force.fi |
| Commanders | |
| Commander | Major-General Juha-Pekka Keränen |
| Notable commanders | |
| Insignia | |
| Roundel |  .svg) |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Electronic warfare | Airbus C295M |
| Fighter | Boeing F/A-18CHornet |
| Trainer | |
| Transport | |
TheFinnish Air Force (FAF orFiAF;Finnish:Ilmavoimat,lit. 'Air forces'[ˈilmɑˌʋoi̯mɑt];Swedish:Flygvapnet,lit. 'Air arm') is one of the branches of theFinnish Defence Forces. Its peacetime tasks are airspace surveillance, identification flights, and production ofreadiness formations for wartime conditions.[2] The Finnish Air Force was founded on 6 March 1918.[1]
The first steps in the history of Finnish aviation involvedRussian aircraft. The Russian military had a number of early designs stationed in theGrand Duchy of Finland, which until theRussian Revolution of 1917 formed an autonomous grand duchy under the Russian Empire. Soon after theFinnish declaration of independence of 6 December 1917, theFinnish Civil War of January to May 1918 broke out, in which the Soviets sided with theReds – the socialist rebels with ties toLenin'sBolshevik Party. Finland'sWhite Guard, theWhites, managed to seize a few aircraft from the Soviets, but were forced to rely on foreign pilots and aircraft. Sweden refused to send men andmateriel, but individual Swedish citizens came to the aid of theWhites. The editor of the Swedish newspaperAftonbladet,Valdemar Langlet, bought aN.A.B. Albatros aircraft from theNordiska Aviatik A.B. factory with funds gathered by theFinlands vänner (Swedish for 'Friends of Finland') organization. This aircraft, the first to arrive from Sweden, was flown viaHaparanda on 25 February 1918 by Swedish pilotJohn-Allan Hygerth (who on 10 March became the first commander of the Finnish Air Force) and Per Svanbäck. The aircraft made a stop atKokkola and had to make a forced landing inJakobstad when its engine broke down. It was later given the Finnish Air Force designation F.2 ("F" coming from the Swedish word "Flygmaskin", meaning "aircraft").[3]
Swedish countEric von Rosen gave the Finnish White government its second aircraft, aThulinTyp D.[4] Von Rosen, later one of the founding members of theNationalsocialistiska Blocket ("National Socialist Bloc"), a Swedish National Socialist political party, and brother-in-law toHermann Goering,[5][6] had painted his personal good-luck charm on the Thulin Type D aircraft. This logo—a blueswastika, the ancient symbol of the sun and of good luck, which was back then still used with non-political connotations—gave rise to the insignia of the Finnish Air Force. The white circular background originated when the Finns painted over the advertisement from the Thulin air academy.[7] The swastika was officially taken into use after an order byCommander-in-ChiefC. G. E. Mannerheim on 18 March 1918. The FAF changed its aircraft insignia, which resembled the swastika of theThird Reich, after 1944 due to anAllied Control Commission decree,[8] which prohibitedfascist organizations.[8] It nevertheless continues to feature in some unit emblems, unit flags and decorations, including on uniforms. In 2020, the BBC reported that the FAF had "quietly stopped" using the symbol in the emblem of the Air Force Command.[9]
The von Rosen aircraft received the designation F.1.[3] Its pilot, Lieutenant Nils Kindberg, flew the aircraft toVaasa on 6 March 1918, carrying von Rosen as a passenger. As this gift ran counter to the policy of the Swedish government, and no flight permit had been granted, Sweden fined Kindberg 100Swedish crowns for leaving the country without permission. The F.1 aircraft is considered by the Finnish Air Force to be the first aircraft of the Finnish Air Force, and its arrival is celebrated as the founding date of the organisation.[1] The F.1 aircraft was destroyed in an accident which killed its crew, not long after it had been handed over to the Finns. In addition to the F.1, the Finnish Air Force used several Russian aircraft obtained from Russian renegade pilots as well as miscellaneous aircraft purchased or received as gifts.[1]
On 7 September 1920, two newly purchasedSIAI S.9 flying boats crashed in theSwiss Alps en route to Finland, killing all on-board (three Finns and one Italian). Since 1922, the anniversary of the accident has since then become the memorial day for Finnish airmen killed on duty.[10][11]
The Finnish Air Force assigns thematriculation numbers to its aircraft by assigning each type a two-letter code following by dash and an individual aircraft number. The two-letter code usually refers to the aircraft manufacturer or model, such asHN for F/A-18Hornet,DK for Saab 35Draken,VN for ValmetVinka etc.
The Whites occupied most of the airbases that the Russians left in Finland after the Russian pilots had returned to Russia.
The Reds possessed a few airbases and a few Russian aircraft, mainly amphibious aircraft – they had 12 aircraft in all. The Reds did not have any pilots themselves, so they hired some of the Russian pilots who had stayed behind. On 24 February 1918 five aircraft arrived at Viipuri, and were quickly transferred to Riihimäki.[citation needed]
The Reds established air units in Helsinki, Tampere, Kouvola, and Viipuri. There were no overall headquarters, but the individual units served under the commanders of the individual front lines. A flight school was set up in Helsinki, but no students were trained there before the fall of Helsinki.[citation needed]
Two of the aircraft, one reconnaissance aircraft (Nieuport 10) and one fighter aircraft (Nieuport 17) that had arrived at Riihimäki were sent to Tampere, and three to Kouvola. Four Russian pilots and six mechanics also arrived at Tampere. The first war sortie was flown on 1 March 1918 over Naistenlahti.[citation needed]
It seems likely that the Reds also operated two aircraft over the Eastern front. The Reds mainly performed reconnaissance, bombing sorties, spreading of propaganda leaflets, and artillery spotting. The Reds' air activity was not particularly successful. Their air operations suffered from badleadership, worn-out aircraft, and un-motivated Russian pilots. Some of the aircraft were captured by the Whites, while the rest were destroyed.[citation needed]
In January 1918, theWhites did not have a single aircraft, let alone pilots, so they asked the Swedes for help. Sweden, a neutral country, could not send any official help. Sweden also forbade its pilots to aid Finland.
Despite this official stance, however, oneMorane-Saulnier Parasol, and three N.A.B. Albatros arrived from Sweden by the end of February 1918. Two of the Albatross aircraft were gifts from private citizens supporting the White Finnish cause, while the third was purchased. It was initially intended that the aircraft would support the air operations of the Whites, but the aircraft ultimately proved unsuitable.
Along with aircraft shortages, the Whites also did not have any personnel, so all the pilots and mechanics also came from Sweden. One of theFinnish Jägers, Lieutenant Bertil Månsson, had received pilot training inImperial Germany, but he stayed behind in Germany, trying to secure further aircraft deals for Finland.
During the Civil War the White Finnish Air Force consisted of:
The air activity consisted mainly of reconnaissance sorties. The Germans brought several of their own aircraft, but they did not contribute much to the overall outcome of the war.
The firstair-force base of independent Finland was founded on a lake shore nearKolho. The base could operate three aircraft. The first aircraft arrived by rail on 7 March 1918, and on 17 March 1918 took off from the base for the first time. In 1918 the Finns took over nine RussianStetinin M-9 aircraft that had been left behind.
The first air operation of the Whites during the war was flown overLyly. It was a reconnaissance-gathering mission as the front-line moved south. As the line nearedTampere, the base moved first to Orivesi and then to Kaukajärvi near Tampere. The contribution of the White air force during the war was almost insignificant.
From 10 March 1918, the Swedish Lt. John-Allan Hygerth led the Finnish Air Force. He was however replaced on 18 April 1918, due to his unsuitability for the position and numerous accidents. The German Captain Carl Seber took over the role and commanded the air force from 28 April 1918 until 13 December 1918.
By the end of the Civil War, the Finnish Air Force had 40 aircraft, of which 20 had been captured from the Reds (the Reds did not operate this many aircraft, but some had been found abandoned onÅland). Five of the aircraft had been flown by theAllies from Russia, four had been gifts from Sweden and eight had been bought from Germany.
After the Civil War, the Finnish Air Force. – or "Aviation Force", as the name went – had four air stations:Santahamina with both land and float planes,Sortavala andKoivisto bases operating float planes andUtti base operating land planes. In addition, there was a Flying Battalion for plane maintenance and pilot and mechanician training.[12] The organisation was led by German instructors. After the fall of Germany in late autumn 1918, the Air Force remained rather reliant on foreign instructors, first French and after mid-1920s, the British but slowly built its own operational and training capacity. After 1922, the most important single plane type was the GermanHansa-Brandenburg W.33, locally known as I.V.L A.22, built domestically under license by the Aviation Force Aircraft Factory. The first domestically designed plane was the primary trainerSääksi, which entered service in 1928.[1]
While the early focus of the aviation activity was in sea surveillance by reconnaissance planes, the fighter pilot training was started in 1923. In 1927, the service entry ofGloster Gamecock heralded the transfer of the focus on land planes. During 1930's,Fokker D.XIII became the front line fighter of the Air Force.Bristol Blenheim andFokker C.X were the main bombers. Instead of being organised into airstations, the Air Force was reorganised during the 1930s into flying regiments which included fighter, bomber and reconnaissance squadrons. At the eve of Winter War, the Air Force had circa hundred planes in total.[1]
The domestic pilot training was started in October 1918 in the Flying Battalion, renamed in 1919 as the Aviation Battalion and in 1923, as Aviation School. After functioning in Turku and Santahamina, the Aviation School was transferred toKauhava in 1928 and renamed as Air Warfare School in 1938.[13]
TheWinter War began on 30 November 1939, when theSoviet Air Force bombed 21 Finnish cities and municipalities. TheSoviet Union had an estimatedc. 5,000 aircraft in 1939, and of these, some 700 fighters and 800 medium bombers came to the Finnish front to support theRed Army's operations. As with most aerial bombardments in the early stages ofWorld War II, the damage to Finnish industry and railways was quite limited.
At the beginning of the Winter War, the Finnish Air Force was equipped with only 18Bristol Blenheim bombers and 46 fighters (32 modernFokker D.XXIs and 14 obsoleteBristol Bulldogs). There were also 58 liaison aircraft, but 20 of these were only used for messengers. The most modern aircraft in the Finnish arsenal were British-designed and -built Bristol Blenheim bombers. The primary fighter aircraft, the Fokker D.XXI, featured a cheap but maneuverable design with fabric-covered fuselage and fixed landing-gear. On paper, the Finnish air assets should have been no match for the attacking SovietRed Air Force. However, the Finnish Air Force had already adopted thefinger-four formation in the mid-1930s,[14][15] which proved a much more effective formation than theVic formation that many other militaries continued to use in 1939.
To prevent their aircraft from being destroyed on the ground, the Finns distributed their aircraft to many different airfields and hid them in the nearby forests. The Finns constructed many decoys and built shrapnel-protection walls for the aircraft. 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 Soviet bombers flew homeward.
As the war progressed, the Finns tried desperately to purchase aircraft wherever they could. This policy resulted in a very diverse aircraft inventory, which caused some major logistical problems until the inventory became more standardized. The Finnish Air Force included numerous American, British, Czechoslovak, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Soviet, and Swedish designs. Other countries, like South Africa and Denmark,sent aircraft to assist in the Finnish war effort. Many of these purchases and gifts did not arrive until the end of the hostilities, but would see action later during theContinuation andLapland wars.
To make up for its weaknesses (few and obsolete fighters) the FAF mainly focused on attacking enemy bombers from directions that were disadvantageous to the enemy. Soviet fighters were usually superior in firepower, speed and agility, and Finnish pilots avoided them unless the enemy was in a disadvantageous position.
As a result of these tactics, the Finnish Air Force managed to shoot down 218 Soviet aircraft during the Winter War while losing only 47 to enemy fire. Finnish anti-aircraft guns also had 314 confirmed downed enemy planes. 30 Soviet planes were captured – these were "kills" that landed more or less intact within Finland and were quickly repaired.
The Finnish Air Force found itself better prepared when the Continuation War against the Soviet Union started in 1941. It had been considerably strengthened and consisted of some 550 aircraft, 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 had reached service during the short conflict. Politics had also played a role, sinceHitler did not wish to antagonize the Soviet Union by allowing aircraft exports through German-controlled territory during the Winter War. In addition to Fokker fighters and Bristol Blenheim bombers built under license, new aircraft types were in place by the time hostilities with Soviet Union resumed in 1941. Small numbers ofHawker Hurricanes arrived from the United Kingdom,Morane-Saulnier M.S.406s from France,Fiat G.50s from Italy, and oneliaison aircraft. NumerousBrewster F2A Buffaloes from the neutral USA strengthened the FAF. A few dozenCurtiss Hawk 75s captured by the Germans in France and Norway were sold to Finland when Germany began warming up its ties with Finland. Finns reconditioned capturedTupolev SBs,Ilyushin DB-3s, andPolikarpov I-153s for service.
The FAF proved capable of holding its own in the upcoming battles with the Red Air Force. Older models, such as the Fokker D.XXI andGloster Gladiator, had been replaced with new aircraft in front-line combat units.
The FAF's main mission was to achieve air superiority over Finnish-held territory and to prevent Soviet air power from reinforcing the Red Army's front lines. The fighter squadrons proved very successful in the Finnish offensive of 1941. A stripped-down, more manoeuvrable, and significantly lightened version of the American Brewster Buffalo was the FAF'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 and with British and Dutch Far East forces. In Finnish use, the Brewster had a victory rate of 32:1 – 459 kills to 15 losses. GermanBf 109s replaced the Brewster as the primary front-line fighter of the FAF in 1943, though the Buffalos continued in secondary roles until the end of the fighting. Other types, including the Italian Fiat G.50 and Curtiss Hawk 75, also proved capable in the hands of well-trained Finnish pilots. The principle reconnaissance type was the GermanArado Ar 196, which had been purchased in 1943 and continued to serve throughout the war, though by mid-1944 the planes' pre-war roots were showing and were subsequently modified to a later A-5 model in an attempt to stave off obsolescence. Various Russian designs also saw action when lightly damaged "kills" were repaired and made airworthy.
Dornier Do 17s (received as a gift from Hermann Göring in 1942) andJunkers Ju 88s improved the bombing capability of the Finnish Air Force. The bomber force was also strengthened with a number of captured Soviet bombers, which had been taken in large numbers by theWehrmacht duringOperation Barbarossa. The bomber units flew assorted missions with varying results, but a large part of their time was spent in training, waiting until the time came to use the aircraft. Thus the bomber squadrons of Flying Regiment 4 were ready for the summer battles of 1944, which included for example theBattle of Tali-Ihantala (June to July 1944).
While the FAF was successful in its mission, conditions were not easy. Spare parts for the FAF planes were scarce — parts from the US (Buffalo and 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 captured Soviet planes and of foreign aircraft with many hours of flight time, and with the development of indigenous Finnish fighter types. Also, one damaged bomber took up workshop space equalling three fighters.
Finland was required to expel or intern remaining German forces as part of itspeace agreement with the Soviets in September 1944. As a result, the Finns' fought their final air battles against retreatingLuftwaffe units.
The Finnish Air Force did not bomb any civilian targets during either war.[16] Overflying Soviet towns and bases was also forbidden, as to avoid any unneeded provocations and to spare equipment.
The Finnish Air Force shot down 1,621 Soviet aircraft while losing 210 of its own aircraft during the Continuation War.[17]
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The end of World War II in 1945 and theParis peace talks of 1947 brought about some limitations imposed on the FAF. For example, the Finnish Air Force could have:
These revisions followed Soviet demands closely. When Britain, fearing that the provisions only augmented Soviet air defences, tried to vary some of the conditions, the Soviets opposed such proposals. The revisions were again revised in 1963, and Finland was allowed to buy guided missiles and a few bombers that were used as target-tugs. The FAF also used a loop-hole to strengthen its capabilities by purchasing large numbers of two-seater aircraft, which counted as trainer aircraft and were not included in the revisions. These aircraft could have secondary roles.[18]
During theCold War years (c. 1947 toc. 1991), Finland tried to balance its purchases between east, west and domestic producers. This led to a diverse inventory of Soviet, British, Swedish, French and Finnish aircraft. After leading Finnish politicians held unofficial talks with their Swedish counterparts, Sweden began storing surplusSaab 35 Drakens, intended for transfer to Finland in the event of a war against the Soviet Union. This practice continued until the 1980s.[19]
On 22 September 1990, a week before the unification of Germany, Finland declared that the limiting treaties were no longer active and that all the provisions of the Paris Peace Treaties were nullified.[20]
In the 1990s, with the Cold War over, the Finnish Air Force ended its policy of purchasing Soviet/Russian aircraft and replaced theSaab Draken andMiG-21s in its fighter wing with USF/A-18C/D Hornets.[21][22][23]
As of 2021[update] the FAF is organized into three Air Commands, each assigned to one of Finland's three air-defence areas. The main Wing bases are atRovaniemi, Tampere andKuopio-Rissala, each with a front-line squadron. Pilot training takes place at the Air Force Academy in Tikkakoski, with advanced conversion performed at squadron level.
In 2023 the English name for the Air Commands was changed to Air Wing.
The current Hornet fleet is set to begin being phased out from 2025, and to be completely decommissioned by 2030. The Finnish MoD initiated its Hornet replacement programme in June 2015, and named it the "HX Fighter Program". A working group was created and it identified suitable aircraft.[24]
The final decision for choosing the new Air Force jet is based on five key considerations, which are the multi-role fighter's military capability, security of supply, industrial cooperation solutions, procurement and life cycle costs, and security and defence policy implications. An extensive questionnaire had been sent out the producers asking what their products can offer Finland in form of capabilities, cost, security of supply and the domestic industry's role, as well as security and defence policy impacts.
The goal is to retain the numerical strength of the FAF fighter fleet, which means that the goal is to obtain some 64 aircraft. The MoD has estimated that the programme will cost somewhere between 7–10 billion Euros. In October 2019, the government of Finland stipulated a budget ceiling of€10 billion for the HX fighter programme.[25]
In December 2015, the Finnish MoD sent a letter to Britain, France, Sweden and the US informing them that the fighter project had been launched in the Defence Forces. The request for information concerning the HX Fighter Program was sent in April 2016.[26] Responses were received from all five participants in November 2016. The official Request for Quotation was sent in the spring of 2018. The goal is to start the fighter candidates’ environmental testing in Finland in 2019.[27] The buying decision took place in 2021.[28]
On 10 December 2021, it was announced thatLockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II was the winner of the HX program.[29] It was also revealed that neither theDassault Rafale,Saab JAS 39 Gripen nor theEurofighter Typhoon had gone through to the final round.
The cost for 64 aircraft was€4.703 billion, and the initial weapons package (€754.6 million) and other associated costs (service equipment, reserve and replacement parts, training equipment and other systems and services were€2.920 billion) bringing the package to€8.378 billion. Additionally€780 million are going to be used to upgrade facilities, and€840 million are saved for later expenses, such as air-to-ground weapons, resulting in total expenses of€9.998 billion, below the limit of€10 billion.[30] Costs per aircraft frame is€73.48 million.
The aircraft are planned to be delivered between 2026 and 2030, and is expected to replace the F/A-18s during the period 2028–2030. The F-35s are intended to be in service until the 2070s.[31] The FAF expects the annual operating costs not to exceed€254 million, which are the current operating costs for the F/A-18 fleet. The first weapons package will includeAIM-9X Block II+ Sidewinder andAIM-120C-8 AMRAAM missiles, and later on air-to-ground weaponry will be obtained when they reach sufficient maturity and will match their shelf life with the introduction of the aircraft. The air-to-ground package might consist ofGBU-53/B SDB II bombs,GBU-31 JDAM bombs,JSM andAGM-158B-2 JASSM-ER missiles, which all were offered in the deal. The DSCA notification also mentionedBLU-117,BLU-111 andBLU-109 bombs, as well asAGM-154C-1 Joint Stand Off Weapons (although the latter is unlikely as production ended in 2023).[32]
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Note: ThreeC-17 Globemaster III's are available through theHeavy Airlift Wing based inHungary.[37]
In May 2025, the Finnish Air Force announced their intention to, within the Nordic Defence Collaboration, join theA330 MRTT Tanker initiative and join theEATC based at Eindhoven Airbase (NL).
| Model | Origin | Type | Variant | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aircraft cannon | |||||
| M61 Vulcan | United States | Rotary cannon (20×102mm) | – | 60 | Equips each of the F/A-18 C/D aircraft in service.[38] |
| GAU-12 Equaliser | United States | Rotary cannon (Swiss 25×137mm) | GAU-22/A | 1 (+ 63 on order)[39] | Will equip all of the F-35A aircraft to enter service. The first aircraft was delivered.[35] |
| Air-to-air missile | |||||
| AIM-9 Sidewinder | United States | IR homing,short range air-to-air missile | AIM-9X | 143 | Purchased with theMLU 1 of the F/A-18 fleet.[40][41] |
| AIM-9X - Block II+ | 150 | Purchased with the fleet of F-35A (with 32 training missiles CATM).[42] | |||
| AIM-120 AMRAAM | United States | Radar homing,BVRair-to-air missile | AIM-120B | – | Purchased with the fleet of F/A-18 in 1992.[43][44][41] Note: also used with the NASAMS (ITO 12).[45] |
| AIM-120C-7 | 300 | Purchased with theMLU 1 of the F/A-18 fleet.[46][41] Note: also used with the NASAMS (ITO 12).[45] | |||
| AIM-120D-3 | 0 (+ 405 on order) | Ordered in December 2025, for theF-35A.[47][48][49][45] Note: it could be used with the NASAMS (ITO 12).[45] | |||
| Air-to-surface missile | |||||
| AGM-158 JASSM | United States | Air-launched cruise missile | AGM-158A JASSM | 70 | Ordered as part of theMLU 2 of the F/A-18 fleet.[50][41] |
| AGM-158B-2 JASSM-ER | 0 (+ 200 on order) | Purchased with the fleet of F-35A.[42] | |||
| AGM-88 HARM | United States | Air-to-surfaceanti-radiation missile | AGM-88G AARGM-ER | 0 (+ 150 on order) | Ordered in 2024 to equip the fleet of F-35A.[51][52] |
| Glide bombs | |||||
| AGM-154 JSOW Joint Standoff Weapon | United States | Precision guidedglide bomb | AGM-154C | 15 | 15 ordered with theMLU 1 of the F/A-18 fleet.[53] |
| AGM-154C-1 | 100 | Purchased with the fleet of F-35A.[42] | |||
| GBU-53/B StormBreaker | United States | Precision guidedglide bomb 204 lb (93 kg) | SDB II | 0 (+ 500 on order) | Purchased with the fleet of F-35A.[42] GPS /INS /SAL guidance. |
| General-purpose bomb | |||||
| GBU-31 JDAM Joint Direct Attack Munition | United States | Precision guided munition 2,000 lb (910 kg) | BLU-117 + KMU-556 | 0 (+ 120 on order) | Purchased with the fleet of F-35A.[42] GPS /INSguidance kit with theBLU-117 bomb (2,000 lb (910 kg)).[54] |
| Precision guided munition 2,000 lb (910 kg) | BLU-109 + KMU-557 | 0 (+ 32 on order) | Purchased with the fleet of F-35A.[42] GPS /INSguidance kit with theBLU-117 bomb (2,000 lb (910 kg)).[54] | ||
| GBU-32 JDAM Joint Direct Attack Munition | United States | Precision guided munition 1,000 lb (450 kg) | – | – | Used with the fleet of F/A-18.[55] GPS /INSguidance kit with theMk 83 bomb (1,000 lb (450 kg)). |
| GBU-38 JDAM Joint Direct Attack Munition | United States | Precision guided munition 500 lb (230 kg) | BLU-111 + KMU-572 | 0 (+ 150 on order) | Purchased with the fleet of F-35A.[42] GPS /INS, orGPS /INS /SALguidance kit with theBLU-111 (500 lb (230 kg)). |
| GBU-54 JDAM Joint Direct Attack Munition | |||||
| Model | Finnish designation | Origin | Type | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radars | |||||
| Thales GroundMaster 403 | KEVA 2010 | France | Long range,S-band (IEEE),3D,AESA,mobile air surveillance radar | 12 | [56][57][58][59] Transported bySisu E13TP.[60] |
| Thompson TRS 2215D | KAVA | France | Long range,E /F-band (IEEE),3D,air surveillance radar | 6 | [61][62][63] Fixed radar.[60] |
| Saab Giraffe 100 AAA | LÄVA | Sweden | Medium range,C-band (IEEE),3D,mobile air surveillance radar | 4 | [64][65] Transported by Sisu SK 242.[60] |
_of_the_Finnish_Air_Force_departs_RIAT_Fairford_17July2017_arp.jpg)
_of_the_Finnish_Air_Force_arrives_RIAT_Fairford_13July2017_arp.jpg)
The Air Force is organised into three air wings, the Air Force Academy, and the Air Force Command.
Total strength is 38,000.
| Rank | Name | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Captain | Carl Seber | 28 April 1918 | 13 December 1918 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | Torsten Aminoff | 14 December 1918 | 9 January 1919 |
| Colonel | Sixtus Hjelmmann | 10 January 1919 | 25 October 1920 |
| Major | Arne Somersalo | 26 October 1920 | 2 February 1926 |
| Colonel | Väinö Vuori | 2 February 1926 | 7 September 1932 |
| Lieutenant General | Jarl Lundqvist | 8 September 1932 | 29 June 1945 |
| Lieutenant General | Frans Helminen | 30 June 1945 | 30 November 1952 |
| Lieutenant General | Reino Artola | 1 December 1952 | 5 December 1958 |
| Major General | Fjalar Seeve | 6 December 1958 | 12 September 1964 |
| Lieutenant General | Reino Turkki | 13 September 1964 | 4 December 1968 |
| Lieutenant General | Eero Salmela | 7 February 1969 | 21 April 1975 |
| Lieutenant General | Rauno Meriö | 22 April 1975 | 31 January 1987 |
| Lieutenant General | Pertti Jokinen | 1 February 1987 | 31 January 1991 |
| Lieutenant General | Heikki Nikunen | 1 February 1991 | 30 April 1995 |
| Major General | Matti Ahola | 1 May 1995 | 31 August 1998 |
| Lieutenant General | Jouni Pystynen | 1 September 1998 | 31 December 2004 |
| Lieutenant General | Heikki Lyytinen | 1 January 2005 | 31 July 2008 |
| Lieutenant General | Jarmo Lindberg | 1 August 2008 | 29 February 2012 |
| Major General | Lauri Puranen | 1 March 2012 | 31 March 2014 |
| Major General | Kim Jäämeri | 1 April 2014 | 31 May 2017 |
| Major General | Sampo Eskelinen | 1 June 2017 | 31 March 2019 |
| Major General | Pasi Jokinen | 1 April 2019 | 31 May 2022 |
| Major General | Juha-Pekka Keränen | 1 June 2022 |
| Flying regiments (historical) | |
|---|---|
| Squadrons |
|
| Current headquarters | |
| Current wings | |
| Schools | |
| Current direct reporting units | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
