Finland’s First F-35A Fighter Rolled Out

Rollout of the first Finnish F-35A aircraft | Photo: Tuulia Kujanpää/Finnish Defence Forces

Finland’s first F-35A multirole fighter, designated JF-501, was presented to the public during a rollout ceremony at Lockheed Martin’s production facility in Fort Worth, Texas, on December 16. The aircraft has completed final assembly and is the first of Finland’s planned fleet of F-35A Joint Fighters.

The ceremony was attended by Finnish Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen, Commander of the Finnish Air Force Major General Timo Herranen, and Colonel (ret.) Henrik Elo, Director of Finland’s F-35 Programme. The event was hosted by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics President Greg Ulmer and included around 200 invited guests from Finnish and US defence authorities, industry, and media.

“We have worked long and hard to get to this moment and we look forward to starting F-35 operations next year,” Major General Herranen said following the ceremony.

Construction of JF-501 began in 2023. In October 2024, a forward fuselage signing marked progress in production. The aircraft was fitted with a Pratt & Whitney F135 engine in September 2025, completed final assembly in October, and received its final paint and stealth coating in November. JF-501 conducted its maiden flight on December 8 as part of factory testing.

Rollout of the first Finnish F-35A aircraft | Photo: Tuulia Kujanpää/Finnish Defence Forces

After completing ground and flight tests at the factory, the aircraft will undergo additional test flights conducted by the US Defense Contract Management Agency. Once accepted, ownership will transfer to Finland. In early 2026, JF-501 will be ferried to Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas, where Finnish Air Force pilots and maintenance personnel will begin initial F-35 training. After the training phase, the aircraft will be flown to Finland.

“This is not just about the new aircraft. It is a step to a stronger, more modern and more agile defence,” said General Janne Jaakkola, Commander of the Finnish Defence Forces. “The F-35 has state-of-the art capabilities to enhance our national and collective deterrence and defence.”

Major General Herranen said the aircraft would support all branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. “The F-35 can conduct a diverse range of tasks the most important ones being air combat, participating in Army and Navy combat operations, projecting power deep into enemy territory, and intelligence and sharing of situational picture,” he said.

From a land warfare perspective, Lieutenant General Pasi Välimäki said, “The F-35 and its capabilities are a clear and very important force multiplier from the perspective of Army operations.” Rear Admiral Tuomas Tiilikainen added that the aircraft would support naval missions, stating, “I’m convinced that the F-35 fleet will provide… a giant leap in our maritime situational awareness and our air–sea battle concept.”

Finland is part of the multinational F-35 programme, which includes 20 participating countries. “Finland is a NATO member and committed to act as a dependable defence provider in the northern flank,” Minister Häkkänen said, adding that Finland is investing in industrial participation linked to the programme.

Rollout of the first Finnish F-35A aircraft | Photo: Suvi Sunnarborg/Finnish Defence Forces

Separately, Finland has authorised the procurement of AIM-120D-3 AMRAAM missiles for its F-35A fleet. Commenting on the decision, Colonel (ret.) Henrik Elo said, “We are getting there now, thanks to the weapon procurement decisions that we have made earlier and the most recent one, the procurement of the AMRAAM D-3 variant.”

The Finnish Defence Forces said the AMRAAMs used in the F/A-18 Hornets are also used in the Army’s ITO12 (NASAMS) surface-to-air system, but the new D-3s will be used in the F-35 aircraft, only.