The Air Forces of the Republic of Finland are a truly formidable formation, given especially that the country’s population is only five and a half million. They currently operate more than 60 F/A-18 supersonic fighters, which provide air defence and are capable of striking ground targets.
The F/A-18 Hornet was originally designed as a multi-task combat aircraft to serve on the US Navy aircraft carriers. However, its capabilities convinced US allies to acquire it and to use it even beyond its original purpose in the naval service. The first F/A-18A Hornet took off in the late 1970s/early 1980s, and today mainly upgraded versions of the F/A-18C/D are in service, along with the much-improved F/A-18E/F Super Hornet versions. The A to D versions of the aircraft are operated by Canada, Spain, Switzerland, Finland, and Malaysia.
Finland is the thirty-first member state of NATO. The deteriorating security conditions have also prompted a decision to increase Finland’s defence spending by 50%. Some of that money will go towards the Hornet replacement project; the Finnish Air Force is planning to replace the currently used aircraft with 64 fifth-generation F-35A Lightning II aircraft between 2025 and 2030.
