An F-35 Lightning II flies over Helsinki, Finland, during the Kaivopuisto Air Show in August 2021. Finland recently received delivery of its first permanently based F-35. (Shutterstock/Lev_Karavanov)

Good Morning, Russia: Finland Just Got Its First Permanent F-35 Fighter Jet

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Though Finland’s border is less than 100 miles from Saint Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city, the aircraft are likely to be stationed in Finland’s northern Lapland region.

Earlier this month, Finland marked the arrival of the first “permanently based” F-35A aircraft to the Scandinavian NATO member. Eight other Finnish F-35 Lightning II fifth-generation stealth fighters remain at Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Arkansas, for pilot training.

The completed aircraft were assembled at prime contractor Lockheed Martin’s facility in Fort Worth, Texas, and were flown across the Atlantic Ocean in September. For the forward fuselage components, however, it was akin to a homecoming, as those parts were manufactured domestically by Patria in Finland before being shipped to Texas. It is the first company other than Lockheed Martin to produce the forward section of the aircraft.

“What begins here is the introduction of a 5th........

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