http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #367 OCTOBER 2018 // 81

European partner manufacturing nations

placed side-by-side in the static display.

A source told AFM this was a deliberate

act to show unity amid ongoing Brexit

negotiations. Eurofighter is, and will

continue to be, a joint European venture.

Saab meanwhile presented a JAS 39C

which, like the Rafale and Typhoon, flew

full displays. The Swedish company is

offering its advanced Gripen E/F for the

HX requirement. Surprisingly, considering

the number of Lightning IIs now flying in

Europe, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 presence

was limited to a plastic full-scale mock-up –

although this was underpinned by a typically

enthusiastic marketing team that included

company test pilot Billie Flynn, who gave an

entertaining briefing to a packed media tent.

The other US contender, the Boeing

Super Hornet, was on both flying and

static display, with three EA-18G Growlers

present that had been loaned back to the

manufacturer by the US Navy to provide

a significant presence in Finland. While a

split buy is not currently an option for HX, a

Super Hornet/Growler mix is a possibility.

Joint US Navy/Boeing marketing expeditions

flown by active-duty military pilots enable

weapons systems such as the Super

Hornet to cross international boundaries

without a US export licence. Once at their

destination, Boeing demonstration pilots

can reassume control of the aircraft.

Interestingly, the tanker support for the

Growlers’ Atlantic crossing was provided by

chartered Omega Air DC-10 N974VV, which

landed at Helsinki International Airport and

was put to good use by the Ilmavoimat for

local F/A-18 tanker currency training.

Local expertise

Finland has strived to maintain a level of

independence in military aviation expertise,

with a proud history of aircraft and

component sub-assembly production as

well as avionics design and manufacture.

Indeed, home-grown aerospace expertise

will play a major role in decisions on HX.

Domestic talent has also reaped rewards

with upgrades and clever solutions to

meet emerging air force needs, and Patria

Aviation, Finland’s largest aerospace

manufacturer, boasts an extensive and

proven track record in these fields.

An example of the smart approach of

Finnish industry was the locally handled

Mid-Life Update (MLU) of the Hornet fleet,

while a cost-effective €40m digital cockpit

upgrade for 18 former Swiss Air Force Hawk

Mk66s also won significant acclaim.

The Hornet work involved two major phases,

the second of which reflected a shift in

domestic strategic policy when the Finnish

government decided to give the 62 remaining

jets an enhanced air-to-ground capability

under MLU2. Patria provided and installed

the requisite upgrades between 2012 and

December 2017, which would see the Hornets

cleared to an out-of-service date of 2030.

The most recent Finnish Air Force project

relates to 24 formerly Babcock Aerospace-

owned Grob G 115E Tutors operated by the

Royal Air Force. A requirement for a ‘new’

basic trainer emerged when the 38-year-old

piston-engined Valmet L-70 Vinka needed

to be replaced. Again, Finland adopted a

‘smart’ approach to recapitalisation and

seized the opportunity to buy suitable

Finland

forges ahead

Above: The two Electronic Attack

Squadron (VAQ) 129 ‘Vikings’ EA-

18Gs present at Tikkakoski were

169139 ‘NJ/516’ and the unmarked

169215, both of which arrived via

Glasgow Prestwick Airport. VAQ-

129 is the US Navy’s EA-18G training

squadron based at NAS Whidbey

Island, Washington. Derek Bower Right:

Hawk Mk51A HW-357 – one of the Midnight

Hawks jets – taxies out for a display during the

Ilmavoimat’s centenary airshow at Tikkakoski earlier

this year. Derek Bower Inset: Colonel Mikko Punnala,

commandant of Tikkakoski Air Base. Derek Bower

Below: The regular Cross-Border Training exercises

have provided the Ilmavoimat with a close look at

the Gripen. Here, Litening-equipped Swedish Air

Force JAS 39C serial 39285 of F 21 prepares to

take on fuel from a USAF KC-135R during an Arctic

Challenge Exercise. USAF/1st Lt Christopher Mesnard

80-82 Finland AFM Oct2018.indd 81 9/10/2018 11:22:37 AM