The F-35 fighter was built as the defence industry corporation Lockheed Martin’s response to the US Government demands in the 1990s to develop a next generation Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), multi-role aircraft type for the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. At first, the United Kingdom was also involved in the programme, and later on, many other partner nations participating in the aircraft development on different levels were included.

The F-35’s first prototype, X-35A, conducted its maiden flight in 2000 and the first mass-produced F-35A flew for the first time in 2006.

In 2015 the Finnish defence administration launched the HX Fighter Programme to replace the Hornet multi-role fighter fleet, which was introduced into service in 1995 and will be phased out by 2030. The HX evaluation proved the F-35 system the best of the five multi-role fighter candidates.

The Finnish Air Force F-35As represent the newest Block 4 configuration of the aircraft. Compared to the earlier versions, the modified Block 4 includes a Sidekick weapons rack which enables the aircraft to carry six AMRAAM missiles, instead of the previous four, in an internal weapons bay.

The very first Finnish Air Force F-35A will be delivered to Finland in 2026 and the system will replace the Hornet fleet of the Air Wings by the end of 2030.

A sustainable maintenance capability for the F-35 fleet will be created in Finland by the Finnish Defence Forces and domestic industry, including a spare part inventory under national management. In addition, the system enables joining the multinational maintenance network. As part of the procurement’s direct industrial participation, domestic industry will carry out assembly work on the F-35’s forward fuselages, structural components and engines, which contributes to national readiness in the maintenance and repair activities crucial to security of supply.

The F-35 multi-role fighter is manufactured in three variants. The F-35A to be procured for the Air Force is the version designed to operate from land bases. The F-35B is capable of conducting short take-offs and vertical landings, and the F-35C is designed for conventional take-offs and landings from an aircraft carrier. The versions have many similarities, but also remarkable technical and structural differences.

Over a thousand F-35 fighters have been manufactured. Twenty nations have selected this aircraft for their armed forces, including Nordic countries such as Norway and Denmark and European nations such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy and Poland. The lifetime of the F-35 is projected to extend until the 2070s.
 
Abbreviations
AESA: Active Electronically Scanned Array
AMRAAM: Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile
JASSM-ER: Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile – Extended Range
JDAM: Joint Direct Attack Munition
MADL: Multifunction Advanced Data Link
SDB: Small Diameter Bomb