The F-35 and Pohjanmaa-Class - Strategic Defence Programmes

The strategic capability programmes aim at replacing Air Force and Navy capabilities to be phased out.

In the 2020s the main systems of the two services - the Hornet multirole fighter of the Air Force and several vessel classes of the Navy - will be decommissioned nearly at the same time. The Air Force F-35 Programme (fmr. HX Programme) and the Navy Pohjanmaa- class corvette programme (formerly Squadron 2020), replacing the capabilities to be phased out, are strategic programmes vital for Finland’s military defence.
 
The F-35 Programme follows the HX Programme and aims to replace the capability provided for the Finnish defence system by the Air Force’s current main fleet, the F/A-18 Hornet, by the end of 2030. Fighter aircraft safeguard the integrity of Finland’s airspace, protect the society from air attacks and provide support for the operations of the Army and Navy.
 
Squadron 2020 and the Pohjanmaa-class vessels are to replace seven Navy ships to be decommissioned. Four modern corvettes will be procured to replace the vessels. The Navy’s new vessels will be an indispensable part of naval defence. They are intended for repelling attacks from the sea and securing vital assets at sea and in the archipelago.