On 16 December, Finland's Minister of Defence, Antti Häkkänen, participated in the ceremony at Lockheed Martin's manufacturing facility in Fort Worth, where the first F-35A aircraft for Finland was unveiled, according to press releases from the Ministry of Defence Finland and Lockheed Martin.
The ceremony was attended by representatives from both the United States and Finland. The aircraft is the first of a total of 64 F-35A that Finland has ordered. Deliveries to Finland will commence in 2026, and the aircraft will gradually replace the country's current F/A-18 Hornets.
According to Lockheed Martin, the first aircraft will be transferred to Ebbing Air Force Base in Arkansas for pilot training. The F-35 fleet will be the largest in northern Europe, according to the same source.
In the Ministry of Defence's press release, it is noted that Häkkänen also inaugurated an event on defence industrial cooperation during his visit. Results from the collaboration between the Ministry of Defence Finland, Lockheed Martin, and Pratt & Whitney were presented there.
– As a member of NATO, Finland is committed to being a reliable defence producer in the north, says Antti Häkkänen in the press release.
In the same statement, the minister highlights that the project creates extensive employment effects in Finland through industrial cooperation. Manufacturing of jet engines and aircraft parts will take place at Patria facilities in Nokia and Jämsä.