On 24 September, Finnish and Swedish fighter aircraft carried out a joint operational identification mission against Russian military aircraft for the first time. Finnish F/A-18 Hornet and Swedish JAS 39 Gripen aircraft identified a Russian air formation in international airspace over the Gulf of Finland.
"The deepened cooperation that began this autumn enables joint identification missions and makes it possible for QRA fighter aircraft to operate from the other country's air bases," says Colonel Vesa Mäntylä, deputy chief of staff at the Finnish Air Force Command, in a press release from the Finnish Air Force.
The operation was led by the Finnish Air Force's air operations centre. The Finnish and Swedish Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) aircraft identified a Russian Tu-134 transport aircraft as well as MiG-31 and Su-30 fighter aircraft.
"This is what close cooperation looks like in practice. Built over several years on trust and strong personal relationships, we can now operate seamlessly together, as air forces, nations and allies," says Air Force Commander Major General Jonas Wikman in a post from the Swedish Armed Forces on X.
