Finnish Air Force
Suomen Ilmavoimat
Finnish Air Force
|
Motto: Qualitas Potentia Nostra
"Quality is our Strength" |
| Established | 6 March, 1918 |
| Personnel | 3100 |
| Commander-in-Chief | Brigadier General Heikki Lyytinen |
The
Finnish Air Force (
Finnish:
Ilmavoimat) is one of the branches of the
Finnish Defence Forces. Its peacetime tasks are 'airspace surveillance, identification flights and production of
readiness formations for wartimeconditions'. As a separate branch of the military, the Finnish Air Force is one of the oldest in the world, having existed since the year 1918.
The Air Force is organised into three commands, each of which operates a fighter squadron:
*Air Force Headquarters and Academy at
Tikkakoski*Lapland Air Command (Fighter Squadron 11) at
Rovaniemi*Karelia Air Command (Fighter Squadron 31) at
Kuopio*Satakunta Air Command (Fighter Squadron 21) at
Tampere*Support Squadron at
Tikkakoski*C3 Systems School at
Tikkakoski*Finnish Air Force C3I Materiel Command at
Tikkakoski*Air Force Training Air Wing (Fighter Squadron 41) at
Kauhava*Aircraft and Weapon Systems School at
Halli*Flight Test Center of Air Force at
Halli*Air Materiel Command at
TampereThe three commands are part of the Defence Forces' Readiness formations.
|
A Finnish F-18C stands on its tail. |
*Captain Carl Seber 28.04.1918 - 13.12.1918
*Lieutenant Colonel Torsten Aminoff 14.12.1918 - 09.01.1919
*Colonel Sixtus Hjelmmann 10.01.1919 - 25.10.1920
*Major Aarne Somersalo 26.10.1920 - 02.02.1926
*Colonel Väinö Vuori 02.02.1926 - 07.09.1932
*Lieutenant General Jarl Lundqvist 08.09.1932 - 29.06.1945
*Lieutenant General Frans Helminen 30.06.1945 - 30.11.1952
*Lieutenant General Reino Artola 01.12.1952 - 05.12.1958
*Major General Fjalar Seeve 06.12.1958 - 12.09.1964
*Lieutenant General Reino Turkki 13.09.1964 - 04.12.1968
*Lieutenant General Eero Salmela 07.02.1969 - 21.04.1975
*Lieutenant General Rauno Meriö 22.04.1975 - 31.01.1987
*Lieutenant General Pertti Jokinen 01.02.1987 - 31.01.1991
*Lieutenant General Heikki Nikunen 01.02.1991 - 30.04.1995
*Major General Matti Ahola 01.05.1995 - 31.08.1998
*Lieutenant General Jouni Pystynen 01.09.1998 - 31.12.2004
*Brigadier General Heikki Lyytinen 1.1.2005 -
*
McDD F-18 C/D Hornet (HN), fighter interceptors (63)
*
BAE Hawk Mk51/51A (HW), trainers (51). The Hawks can also be fitted with
AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and ground attack munitions. They are to be replaced by new planes, of a so far unknown model, in the next decade.
*
Learjet 35A/S (LJ), used for transportation, surveillance, target towing and aerial photography. (3)
*
Valmet L-70 Vinka (VN), trainers (28)
*
Fokker F.27 (FF), transportation aircraft (2) (will be replaced by two EADS CASA C-295M by 2008)
*
Valmet L-90 TP Redigo (RG), liaison aircraft (9)
*
Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain (PC), liaison aircraft (6)
List of air forces*
Finnish Air Force*
Pictures of Finnish Air Force aircraft at Airliners.net
