Finnish Broadcasting Company
May 14, 2015
16 Finnish jets join NATO-dominated exercise over Arctic
Sixteen Hornet fighter jets from the Finnish Air Force will take part in a multinational aviation exercise in the northern Nordic region beginning May 25.
Planes from 10 countries will fly over northern parts of Finland, Sweden and Norway during the 12-day Arctic Challenge Exercise. The Finnish Air Force announced details of its involvement in the maneuvers on Wednesday. The Finnish Air Force has 62 Boeing F/A-18 C/D Hornet jets.
Dubbed Cross Border Training North, the exercise is one of the most important events of the year for the Air Force.
Altogether, some 100 aircraft are to participate, from the three Nordic host countries as well as Switzerland, the Netherlands, Britain, France, Germany, the United States — and NATO. All are NATO members except Finland, Sweden and Switzerland, traditionally non-aligned states that are now part of the alliance’s Partnership for Peace program.
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Most of the flight operations will take place over northern Sweden. The Finnish Hornets will fly out of bases in Rovaniemi and Bodø on Norway’s north-west coast.
The exercise will involve dropping weapons onto targets in Sweden and Norway. However, the Finnish planes will not carry out these delivery missions.
According to the Norwegian Air Force, the exercise will also include weapon delivery against airborne targets, combating simulated anti-air artillery, low-level flying and mid-air refueling.
Sweden will take part with 16 Jas Gripen fighters and Norway with about 10 F-16 jets. The U.S. will also send F-16s, which will fly alongside German Eurofighter Typhoons, French Mirage 2000s and Swiss Hornets.
NATO will also supply AWACS jets, transportation jets and tankers, and DA-20 Jet Falcons.
The exercise is to conclude on June 5.
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