Lockheed Martin has rolled out the first F-35A Lightning II fighter jet for the Finnish Defence Forces at its production facility in Fort Worth, Texas.
The rollout marks a key milestone under Finland’s 2021 Foreign Military Sales (FMS) agreement with the United States, which provides for the acquisition of up to 64 fifth-generation fighters valued at nearly $10 billion.
The event follows Lockheed Martin’s announcement in October that final assembly of the aircraft had been completed. The company also confirmed that the first eight aircraft will be temporarily based in Arkansas to support Finnish Air Force pilot and maintainer training.
Once formally delivered, Finland’s F-35A fleet will be stationed at the Lapland Air Wing in Rovaniemi and the Karelia Air Wing in Siilinjärvi.
According to Lockheed Martin, Finland will operate Europe’s largest F-35 fleet, backed by a global supply chain of more than 1,900 suppliers, including 30 Finnish companies contributing to the nation’s defense and aerospace industry.
The F-35 program continues to expand worldwide, with the aircraft now in service with 20 countries, 13 of them in Europe.
