Air-to-air refueling training missions with the United States Air Force

The Finnish Air Force's F/A-18 Hornet multi-role fighters will fly training missions with a United States Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft on 12–15 February 2024.

The objective of the air-to-air refueling (AAR) training missions is to provide fighter pilots with AAR proficiency and currency training opportunities. Finnish F/A-18 pilots complete an AAR qualification as a part of their flight training.

Lapland Air Wing will carry out the training missions in cooperation with the United States Air Force’s 100th Air Refueling Wing (100 ARW) based at RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom. The training event will involve Finnish F/A-18 Hornet multi-role fighters and a U.S. KC-135 Stratotanker.

The training missions will be flown in Finnish airspace in an area bordering on Rovaniemi, Kuusamo, Kajaani and Oulu as a part of Finnish Air Force’s daily flight operations on 12–15 February 2024. The Finnish F/A-18s will fly from their homes bases in Rovaniemi, Rissala and Pirkkala. The KC-135 will operate out of Rovaniemi Air Base.

The air-to-air refueling training missions are a part of the Defence Forces’ international training and exercise activity, approved by the Finnish Ministry of Defence. Similar events have been conducted regularly since 2009.